Diving into Destiny
by Nixie-poo
Summary: The journey has never ended, and it starts again with Roxas submerged in a whirlwind of confusion. Kara reunites with Sora, Donald, and Goofy to face the growing threat of Organization XIII. Their new journey together will put their friendship to the test as they make discoveries and fight the darkness. [DISCONTINUED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE]
1. So the Story Begins

_In you and I_

_There's a new land_

_Angels in flight_

_wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I_

_My sanctuary_

_My sanctuary, yeah_

_Where fears and lies melt away_

_Music will tie_

_wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I_

_What's left of me_

_What's left of me now..._

* * *

_"Where am I...?"_

_Eyes matching the sun's flaming gold brilliance gazed out into the distance. Sleepily, they studied the sky and its numberless clouds. Building up in the distance were towers of white, rumbling thunderheads. The lightning flashing within them was magnificent, but the storm was slowly approaching. It appeared ruthless._

_A girl standing ankle-deep in shallow water watched it with great interest, though her half-lidded stare seemed mostly empty. The crystal clear water caught her attention when a ripple effect ran through at random points hundreds of feet ahead. She nearly missed it. Perfectly, the sky reflected in the water. It expertly masked the unseen mysteries lying beneath the surface. The girl curled her toes to feel a flat ground, but her eyes only saw the expanding clouds._

_She blinked once and furrowed her brows together. "I know this place..."_

_Suddenly and without explanation, her body fell weak and eyes slid shut. Droplets of water shot up into the air as she crashed into the liquid wasteland. Ripples remained where she had fallen, soon flattening out with the rest of the sea as if nothing had ever happened. No one to see the girl sinking into a deep, dark abyss._

_'I can hear someone talking... to me? No. To someone else.' Stirring awake again, the girl peeked her eyes open to see a swirling mass of darkness surrounding her. Shining water bubbles rose back to the surface she had fallen through, but she could only see a strong beam of light shining down from that point. No more could she admire the crystalline sea and sky. It was in the midst of that darkness where a voice echoed from some unknown point. She could hear it clearly._

_**"A scattered dream that's like a far off memory..."** the voice began in a low whisper. The girl's eyes closed once as her ears welcomed in the familiar tone. **"...A far off memory that's like a scattered dream... I wanna line the pieces up... yours, and mine..."**_

_'That voice sounds like someone I know...' The girl thought to herself for a moment, still descending into the darkness. She couldn't explain it, but there was something about that mysterious presence somewhere in the dark. A warmth burning to life in her chest, it was welcoming. But no answer to the questions arising._

_Further along in her descent, very soon after the voice was gone for good, her eyes witnessed a dramatic flash of light similar to an explosion. It was far away, so she was not affected by it. But, the light grew and grew until she was blanketed by blinding rays. Shifting to an upright position, she shielded her eyes and gasped in surprise. The strange light eventually dimmed down to a reasonable level, until she was able to see without having much difficulty._

_There it was. A single orb of light floating right in front of her. It came closer, almost close enough for her to reach out and touch. She refrained from doing so. For some reason, it didn't seem like a very good idea. Rather, the girl watched and waited._

_**"The time has come... No more waiting around. Are you ready?"**_

_Subconsciously, the girl nodded her head to the orb of light. She didn't understand what it meant, although that was her mind's thinking. There was a warm tingling in her chest. Whatever she was agreeing to, it seemed to be the right thing to do. It was like she knew she had to do it._

_The orb moved away from her and shot a single ray of light through the darkness. Amazed by the sight of it, the girl's mouth cracked open to let out a breath of surprise and wonder. A transparent screen appeared as the ray faded, and in the middle of it was a keyhole that shined just as radiantly. Its presence before her rang a bell, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it._

_**"Do not let fear stop you. You will open the door to a whole new world. Never forget your purpose, your talents."**_

_Both of the girl's feet tapped down on solid ground, though it still seemed to be nothing but darkness. She stepped closer to the keyhole until a certain point, where she raised her hand up to reach for it. Eyes sparkling with desire, she let her heart call out for the ability to unseal the keyhole. An answer came in the manifestation of tangible power in the palm of her left hand. It flashed as a light, which dispersed immediately to reveal a peculiar tool in her grasp._

_A blade of sorts resembling a giant key. The main body of it was a rich gold, and the guard a smooth silver. There was no mistaking the feel of it. She could tell that this "sword" was nothing ordinary. It had the feel of darkness- endless darkness. Yet, in that instant when she examined it closely, with both eyes and heart, she could see the ounce of light coursing through the unusual blade. So it was not all darkness. There was still a shard of light within it._

_**"You understand what it is. Use it to move forward, if you truly know. Connect your heart..."**_

_Holding both the blade and hilt in her hands, the girl looked up at the keyhole with a stern gaze. Her lips pursed as she considered what to do with it, then it became clear. She let go of the tension building up in her jaw and nodded her head. "The Keyblade... I know exactly what to do with it."_

_Undeterred, the girl aimed the tip of the Keyblade at the keyhole and shot a beam of light into it. A sharp sound echoed, like a door had just been unlocked. As a result of her actions, the keyhole broke away into oblivion, and the screen cracked. She watched the cracks spread across the wall as rays of light poured out from them. Something was about to burst through. Her body wasn't moving in spite of her urges for it to do so. Then it broke free- the light from the other side. She was enveloped by it and pulled through._

_**"This journey is yours to do alone. Find your way through, and do not falter. He is relying on you."**_

* * *

At the dead of night, a group of four teenagers stealthily jogged through the sleeping town. There was no one to catch them in their act of sneaking about, save for the small animals lurking around the street corners. Three of them slipped through a sizable hole in a concrete wall separating the town from the woods, and the fourth stayed behind for a minute to see if anyone was following. He followed them inside as soon as the coast was clear.

"I thought you said it came from over here," said one of the boys. They all walked along a single path running through the woods. Being sure that no one had followed them, the teens slowed their pace to a comfortable stride. "This place is giving me the creeps."

"That weird light definitely came from around those trees..." another boy whispered quietly, pointing down the path at a group of large trees. "Ah. There!"

Four pairs of eyes caught sight of a shimmering light coming from behind the nearby bushes. None of them dared to approach it, having been stunned by the rush of excitement they felt, except for one boy who felt compelled to investigate. He shoved passed the leader of the group and pushed through the leaved twigs to see what was on the other side. But when he did see it, he froze in place and fell to one knee.

"Huh?" the blonde-haired youth's lips parted. Confusion fogged his mind as he tried to make sense of things. "A... girl?"

The light had faded away when he found the mysterious girl slumped against one of the trees. Many questions flooded his mind as he checked her for injuries. She didn't appear to be hurt, but she was unconscious. "Oi! Hayner, Pence, Olette! Get over here!"

"On our way, Roxas!" One of them called back; the boy assumed it to be Hayner, the self-proclaimed boss of their group.

In the meantime, Roxas tried to wake the girl up from her _sleep_. She didn't stir when he shook her by the shoulders. Poking her cheeks didn't get a reaction either. He sighed and sat down on his bottom. Nothing was working. And, what was taking his friends so long to get there? Mumbling something under his breath, Roxas relaxed some and picked the girl up in his arms to carry her out of there.

"Sorry, but I don't think this is a good place to sleep," he said to her despite the fact that she was not responding to his voice. Taking care not to let the sharp twigs scratch her, Roxas met up with his friends to show them what- or who- he found. "Guys."

"Is she okay?" Olette asked him, rushing over to his side to check on the unconscious girl.

"Oh, it's a girl!" Hayner joked. "So, what about that light we saw?"

Pence peered through the bushes, where Roxas came from, but turned back with a disappointed look. He shrugged his shoulders and rejoined the group. "Looks like there's nothing back there. Guess that lead was no good."

"Uh... she's kinda heavy," Roxas cringed. "I'm putting her down."

"That's rude..."

"Wow, so mean, Roxas."

"E-Er, sorry!"

He placed the girl on a soft patch of grass and knelt down beside her with a caring hand resting on her forehead. Although this was nothing he was expecting, the blue-eyed youth was glad that nothing bad happened. This new face was in decent shape and breathing normally. Most likely, she wandered into the woods and fell asleep at some point. But what a deep sleep she was in. What a sleepyhead, he thought.

They were all quietly surrounding the girl as she slept, admiring her unique appearance. Roxas found himself playing with a strand of her hair. It had him so intrigued, he found it hard not to get a closer look.

"White hair," he whispered. This was the first time he saw anyone with hair as white as hers. Some twigs were pulled out from her short locks. Not wanting to potentially bother her, he stopped and rested his hand on his knee. Roxas fell quiet and studied the girl's face. "I feel like I know her from somewhere."

A moment later, what he was hoping for happened. The mystery girl let out a sigh and finally opened her eyes. Roxas was taken back by the amber-colored orbs so much that he let his mouth hang open slightly. She groaned softly and pressed the palm of her hand to her forehead.

"Where... am I...?" she said in a low, hard to hear tone. Her eyes were squinted as she gazed at the ground. "...Who am I?"

"She's awake!" Hayner announced. "Boy, that's good to see. Case closed, I guess. Now let's head home and get some sleep."

"Hayner..." Olette folded her arms.

"Ugh, right." Rolling his head, Hayner crouched down in front of the awakened teen and grinned. "So, what's your name?"

"My name...?" the girl shook her head slowly. "I can't remember."

They were all stumped. A case of amnesia? This was the first time they met someone who couldn't even remember their own name. No memory of her address, either. It was a predicament that none of them were very comfortable with.

"We can't just leave her out here," Olette said.

"Yeah, some bad guy might come in and kidnap her," Pence added.

"Then, what should we do?" Roxas asked the circle.

"How about we let her stay at the usual spot?" Hayner suggested, but no one agreed to it. "Well, got any room at your place, Olette?"

The brunette girl shook her head. "Sorry."

"Same..."

"Oh, I have an extra space," Roxas chimed in with a kind smile. "She can stay there until her memory comes back."

"That settles it!" Hayner grinned. "Thanks, buddy."

Helping her up to her feet, Roxas led the girl out of the woods and into town. The next day turned out to be troubling, because the nameless girl's memory never did return. The four friends showed her around town in hopes of finding her home, but it was a failed attempt at getting her memory back. Roxas's home became her home for the time being, but he was glad to be of help.

A couple days later...

"Tricia."

"Rebecca."

"Cindy."

"Natasha."

"Elizabeth."

"Lulu."

"Uh... Flora?"

Off the top of his head, Hayner listed off all the names that he could think of. It went on for a full hour with no success. All of the names he brought up to their amnesiac friend often resulted in everyone cringing. He was about ready to give up. Nothing sounded familiar to her at all. An air of frustration filled the _Usual Spot_, their favorite hangout place. The five of them sat around and ate bars of sea-salt ice cream, passing the time with guessing games until Hayner had enough of it.

"Aww, I've got nothing!" Hayner blurted, slumping back against the wall. "All know about her is that she likes ice cream. What good is that?"

"Means she fits in just fine, I'd say." Pence licked his ice cream bar and nodded vigorously, and Olette nodded in agreement. "If we can't figure out her name, why don't we just give her one?"

"How about-"

"There are lots of good names out there," Olette cut Hayner off. "But, what comes to your mind?"

All eyes were on the amnesiac as she thought about the question. It made her a little nervous, but she tried to think of something. A name. All she had to do was think of a name for herself. But the only thing that came to mind was... "Igni."

"Igni?" Roxas repeated, and she nodded. "That's different. Where did that come from?"

"Don't know," she said, biting a chunk out of her ice cream. "It just popped into my head. Any better ideas?"

"I've got on-"

"Nope!" Pence cut in, butting Hayner out of the conversation. "Igni is a great name!"

"Igni." Roxas said the name again, standing up from the box he was sitting on. He smiled softly at her and nodded. "Nice to meet you."


	2. Rough Beginnings

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Kingdom Hearts series or any of the characters relating to it- those belong to Tetsuya Nomura. The original character of this fanfiction belongs to me. Do not plagiarize material from this fic!**

* * *

Bells were ringing through Twilight Town until all were aware that morning came. A girl with silvery white hair, Igni, strolled through the tram common with a small box in her hands. Her route was set for the usual spot where her and a few others gathered together, but first...

"Roxas!" Stopping in front of a small, two-story home, Igni called out to her good friend. There was no answer at first, but she still waited for some kind of response from the 15-year-old boy. She patiently waited for him to rise out of bed. The frown she wore disappeared when the window to his bedroom opened wide. "It's about time."

"Eh...?" Roxas let out a yawn and peered down from the window, his head hanging over the frame to see one of his good friends standing in front of his house. "Oh, it's only Igni. Good morning. I'll be right down!"

In a rush, Roxas closed the window and hurriedly got dressed in his everyday clothes, while Igni wore an irritated expression. "Only me?" she mumbled. The annoyed feeling she felt didn't last long. There were no hard feelings by the time he got out the front door.

The two of them ran off together with the box of ice cream to the hangout spot they shared with Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Igni and Roxas stepped through to the other side of the red curtain to see their three friends sitting around, waiting for them to arrive. Each took a single bar of Sea-Salt ice cream and sat down to enjoy the sweet and salty flavor. It was an enjoyable beginning to the golden morning under the train tracks, until a problematic matter was brought up.

Igni sighed and rested her chin on her arms as Hayner rambled on about a rival group's actions toward them in the past. Her eyes blinked slowly in response to the drawn out story. Briefly, she glanced over to Roxas to see how he was fairing, but he was busy looking down at his hands to bother with listening any further. He looked awfully distracted, she noticed. Something was bothering him ever since she met up with him earlier in the day.

"Man, doesn't that tick you off?" Hayner grumbled. "Those guys don't know what they're talking about!"

"Yeah, that's just wrong..." Pence nodded in agreement.

Olette sighed and shook her head, saying, "Seifer's gone too far this time."

"What do you guys think?" Hayner asked Igni and Roxas, who were still quietly minding their own business.

All three had their own opinion of the matter, and they were all united in their thoughts. Their eyes fell upon Roxas first, for he had yet to share his opinion on what _Seifer_ had done. He was still looking down, until Hayner waved his hand in the boy's face to grab his attention.

"Oh, um... It was out of line." Roxas told them with some certainty, though he didn't feel all that offended. The girl sitting on an old crate in the far corner simply nodded her head. A lot of gossip went around about the guy who was the hot topic in their group, and she heard most of it within the past few days. The guy didn't seem all that friendly, so she hadn't the best feelings toward him. But whether or not these rumors were true, she could only assume that he wasn't acting in the best ways.

"I mean, it's true that stuff's been stolen around town. And we've got a score to settle with Seifer and everything..." Hayner went on to say, folding his arms. He hopped down from his favorite spot and exhaled a held in breath as he paced around. "So, if he wants to think we did it, I can't really blame him. See... that's not really what bugs me. What REALLY bugs me is that he's goin' around tellin' everybody we're the thieves!"

"Now the whole town and their mothers are treating us like the Klepto Club! Have you ever been this ticked off before in your life?! 'Cause I haven't. Nuh-uh. NEVER."

Hayner paused in his rant and punched his fist into his palm, "Now... what to do."

Everyone was at a loss for words. It was definitely the worst situation they could possible be in, the thought was. Walking through town just to take care of usual errands was proving to be tough with these harsh rumors floating around.

"Uh, well..." Roxas tried to think of a resolution, seeing that the others weren't able to come up with a reasonable one just yet. "We could find the real thieves. That would set the record straight."

"Hey, that sounds fun!" Pence chimed in, jumping up to his feet.

"What about Seifer?" Hayner drew the line as the chubby youth ran over to get his camera equipment ready for the big mission.

Igni stood up and put her hands on her hips. _Chasing some thieves around town sounds really tough. I doubt it's going to be that easy_. Her thoughts were quiet, but it still seemed to be worth the trouble. Well, if it meant clearing her friends' names and ratting out the true culprit, then yes it was worth it. The real question was: _W__hat is the plan of action?_

"First, we have to clear your names," she said out loud. The others looked to her with interest and consideration about the idea. "Once the real thief is found, everyone's going to back off."

"Nnn..." Hayner ruffled his hair in complaint. "It's a hassle, but-"

"Oh, no! They're gone! Our _ are gone!"

Suddenly, and startling everyone, Pence shouted out in horror as he examined his camera. But that was not the worst of it, he realized. Did he choke up? Pence wondered, holding his throat. No, he didn't feel dry in his throat at all.

"All our _, gone?" Hayner, still knowing what he was referring to, spoke in a raised voice. He was just as shocked when he failed to utter the word, yet everything else came out just fine.

Olette gasped and held her hands over her mouth in astonishment. "You can't say _... why not?"

"But you do understand what I'm saying, right?" Pence asked everyone. He repeated himself but with emphasis. "Our _ are _gone_!"

"_Stolen_..." Igni folded her arms, baffled.

"And not just the _." Roxas pointed the real problem out. "The word _! They stole it, too!"

"What kind of thief is that?" Hayner growled. "Sifer could never have pulled that one off."

"Yeah!"

"Alright, time for some recon!" Hayner, Pence, and Olette rushed off ahead of the other two to search around town. It was determined that they'd all look around as a team to figure out who the thief was. At the same time, they wanted to avoid any bad confrontations with anyone not willing to hear them out such as Seifer and his disciplinary gang.

Roxas went to follow them out first, with Igni close behind him, but something happened. He groaned, feeling lightheaded. It happened in an instant, right before the girl's eyes. She dashed forward and caught him by the arm before he could hit the ground, but he slumped forward as if unconscious.

"Roxas?!" Igni gasped, kneeling down beside him. Her hand was resting on his back, and she shook him to try and wake him up. Roxas was unresponsive. That was when her own head started to spin. A dull aching throbbed along her forehead. She bit her lip and clamped her eyes shut. "Ah... My head... What is this? A... A voice...?"

_His heart is returning..._ A distant voice spoke, echoing in her head. _Doubtless he'll awaken very soon..._

Igni shook the dizziness away and took in a sharp breath. The voice, along with the painful headache, faded away until nothing seemed to be wrong. She snapped out of the haze when Roxas stirred, so she helped him back to his feet. Like he was feeling miraculously better, Roxas dusted off his clothes and looked around.

"Huh? What was that?" he asked, but Igni only shrugged her shoulders. "And what was I doing on the ground?"

"That was weird..." she said in a low voice, seemingly forgetting what she just felt at the same time. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," Roxas told her. He was about to tell her all about what he just experienced, or what he knew about it, but Olette returned to the underpass and approached the two of them as they were talking.

"Roxas, Igni, c'mon," she called out to them. "We're meeting up in town!"

* * *

The residents of Twilight Town were all busy with their own matters as Roxas and Igni walked along to find their friends at the Tram Common. Many of the people they passed were rather... harsh... toward Roxas, in particular. Igni witnessed their behavior with a deep frown on her face. Some of the men and younger folks would shove by him or shoot dirty looks. It made her feel uncomfortable and irritated, but Roxas didn't bother to confront the persons treating him badly.

They had arrived at one of the shops, anyway, where the others were waiting. Igni glanced back over her shoulder at the nearby townspeople. Most of them were back to minding their own business. It was like the intensity of her amber eyes shooed them away. Her gaze burned like fire, until Hayner calling out to her and Roxas snatched her away from the trance.

"Over here, you two!" Hayner waved his arms, motioning them over to the clothing shop. They hurried over to that point to meet with Hayner, Pence, and Olette before they had to wait too long. "Great, no we're all together."

"Let's get the investigation underway," Pence announced.

"Yo, Roxas," the man heading the shop spoke up, noticing the blue-eyed boy standing there. His glaring eyes softened when he saw Igni, a somewhat familiar face, standing next to him. "Never thought you'd do such a rotten thing... and dragging the new girl into it? That's no good."

"We didn't steal anything, alright?" Roxas gently argued, and he shook his head in protest. "Igni wasn't dragged into anything, either. She's helping us out."

"I'd like to believe you, but..." The shop clerk mumbled something under his breath. "Who else would steal that stuff?"

"What stuff?" Igni asked.

"As if you kids didn't know," he rebuked her question. "Hey, I'm not gonna tell you. Go ask someone else."

The shop owner was too aggravated to go on anymore, so the group moved on to the next person to ask questions. Their attention fell upon another clerk across the way, a young lady who they all knew fairly well. Compared to the man they had just spoken to, she was more friendly in spite of the rumors going around. The young woman who was about a year older listened with open ears.

"Go on, Roxas, ask her," Hayner pushed the boy forward.

"Oh, it's you, Roxas... Please don't let me down like that," the girl hardly welcomed them and acted standoffish at first. "You used to be one of my favorite customers."

It was the thief she was implying him to be, even though the exact words weren't spoken. Annoyed somewhat, Roxas sighed and refrained from asking any questions now that he knew what the problem was with her. "I'm not the thief!"

"Okay..." the young woman nodded slowly.

"It's no fun having everyone suspecting me, you know," he said.

"Then you've got to find a way to clear your name," the clerk told him, although they already had the intention of doing so. "Ah, the elderly lady at the candy shop was pretty disappointed, too. I'd talk to her."

The five of them rushed for the candy shop to talk to the older woman in charge of selling delicious treats, though she was not smiling when they got to the store. Perhaps it wasn't because they were the hot topic of the town. She seemed to be distracted by something or other.

Igni and Roxas, knowing her more than anyone else, approached to strike up conversation. The elder adjusted her glasses when she heard them tapping on the counter, and she greeted them with a surprised tone in her voice.

"Roxas? And, oh, it's you, Igni," she said. "I'm sorry, but have you seen my cat around? Little Lu ran off just a little while ago. I can't find her anywhere!"

"Er..."

"Meow."

The cat wasn't really missing, they discovered. Soft meows sounded from the sign hanging over the shop. It was Lu, the old lady's cat she was looking for. Between the two of them, Roxas and Igni, the one who did the hard work of getting the cat down was the boy who jumped around with great ease. He was able to climb up and lower the kitten down to her owner without a problem.

Now that the cat was returned. they could get back to talking to the candy seller about the situation with the thief.

"Oh, thank you, kids," she said, cutting them off before they could ask anything. "I couldn't have gotten Lu back without your help. Don't want anything else getting lost."

"Did the thief steal something from you, too?" Igni asked.

"Oh, my, yes," the old woman said quickly. "Something very important to me."

"Just so you know, we didn't do it," Roxas spoke up, determined to have her know the truth.

"I believe you, dear," she said in a kind voice. "It just wouldn't be right to accuse such sweet children."

"Thanks for that, ma'am," Hayner thanked her. "So, what did they take from you?"

"My _. My precious _."

Asking around for more information was about over. The group of friends regrouped for a quick ice cream snack to discuss their findings, though there was not very much to talk about. It was still more than what they had before.

They walked through town and met up near the back alley, where Hayner began their meeting.

"Looks like the culprit is going around stealing _, and not just _," he stated. "The word _ is missing, too."

"This isn't your average thief..." Pence sighed.

"I wonder if Seifer would know anything about this," Olette wondered out loud. "He's usually with Rai and Fuu at the sandlot."

"We've got to talk to him, then," Igni concluded.

"C'mon, to the sandlot!" exclaimed her closest friend, the boy who took most of the heat from the townspeople.


	3. Thieves

As twilight drew near, the sandlot became empty and lacked anyone, save for four youths meeting together- a tall lad wearing a red muscle shirt and baggy pants, a girl with silver hair and a quiet demeanor, a short fellow with a pointy hat and heavy clothes, and a young man with a scar running diagonally over the bridge of his nose. Raijin, Fuujin, and Vivi. Those three were often by Seifer's side, and he was the apparent leader.

Tension was building up when Twilight Town's accused teens approached them. Immediately, their presence was not welcomed. Igni silently followed her friends to meet with their accusers. She didn't like the mean vibe they gave off.

"Thieves!" Fuu pointed her finger at them, alerting the others.

"That was real low, y'know!" Rai waved his fist at Roxas.

Hayner stepped up and gritted his teeth, "Oh yeah?"

It was right on cue when Seifer stepped out from the shadows. He had been watching from the moment they got to the sandlot, and a look of amusement was on his face. "Nice comeback there, blondie," he taunted Hayner.

"What'd you say?" Hayner, buying into the taunt, growled and tensed up.

Seifer ignored it and stood in front of his gang to confront them. "You can give us back the _ now."

"Yeah!" Rai supported the demand. "You're the only ones who would take it, y'know?"

"That was undeniable proof that we totally owned you lamers," Seifer pointed his finger at Hayner and Roxas. He circled them like a wolf with hateful eyes. They were his prey, and he was intent on making them bow in submission. "So what did you do? Burn it? Or, did you get this girl here to dispose of them?"

"Ha, not that we need some _ to prove that you're losers."

"Replay." Fuu's one-liner made the disciplinary head grin.

"Ha! Now you're talking!" Seifer hunkered down, braced for another fight with his rivals. Hayner and Roxas had mutual feelings now, having been drawn into the taunts Seifer threw at them. Olette and Pence backed off, knowing that something was about to take place in the middle of the sandlot. The two of them tried to pull Igni back, but she wanted to see what was happening with her own eyes.

"Better get out of the way, girly. These punks are about to get owned." Seifer's electric blue eyes stopped on Igni as she stood with Roxas. He turned his attention back to the boys. "I guess if you get on your knees and beg, MAYBE I'll let it slide."

_He's just trying to get under our skin. Isn't that what rivals do?_ Igni thought. As long as they didn't by anymore into Seifer's teasing, then it'd be okay. That was what she thought about it, anyway, but she was surprised to see Roxas stepping forward to Seifer. Hayner, who was being sized up by Rai, tried to stop him. It was too late, however. _What?!_

Roxas calmly got down on one knee, causing for there to be an eruption of laughter from Seifer and his pals. Igni clenched her jaw lightly and shook her head, "Roxas!"

"We're not the bad guys here!" Roxas shouted, sprinting to a blue foam bat lying on the ground. It was like a play sword but used for fighting tournaments called _Struggles_. Resolve burned in his eyes as he swiped at Seifer, who jumped back to dodge. It was just like the last time. They struggled in a brawl to determine who was on top. That time, Seifer beat him in a one on one round. This time was different. "Igni!"

With Hayner and the others being occupied with Seifer's two followers, Roxas needed someone to watch his back. There was only one other bat on the ground, so he kicked it back to the one person able to support him. He didn't even know if she could fight. It was a strange reflex that couldn't be explained. All he knew was that she was someone he could trust. She caught the bat in her hands and stood there with a surprised expression.

Igni pursed her lips and furrowed her brows. Gripping the hilt of the Struggle bat in her left hand, she joined Roxas's side to face Seifer. The two of them would face the challenge together.

"Two of you at once, eh?" Seifer raised a brow. "Sorry, girly, but I don't like going easy."

"Then don't," Igni replied shortly. "It's not like you'll win."

Seifer fell quiet and lunged at Roxas first. The two fought equally against each other, until Seifer started to get the upper hand; Roxas was able to land only a few hits on him. Staggering back, Roxas got back into a defensive position. He could hear Pence encouraging him from the sidelines, and Igni was right there with him.

Roxas dodged a jab from Seifer, and Igni surprised the older teen with a counter. Striking him in the wrist first, she threw off his force and interrupted his attack on her friend. A thwack to the side and a hit to the chin. It caught him off guard, her surprise attack. But, it wasn't enough to throw him out of the game.

"Come on... quite playin' around and fight!" Seifer rubbed his chin and pointed his Struggle bat at the two competitors.

He did well to stand off against both Roxas and Igni, who shocked everyone by how well she handled the fight. It was getting serious now. Seifer, now utilizing his strengths in the unofficial Struggle match, fought hard to beat them. However, his hard effort was overthrown by their combined efforts. One got him from behind, the other consistently attacked him head on.

After the beating continued, Seifer dropped to one knee in defeat. Rai and Fuu stepped in front of him in defense. Neither Roxas nor Igni threatened to proceed.

"Seifer's not feelin' so hot, y'know!" Rai shouted.

"Tournament decides," Fuu added.

Taking it as an opportunity to photograph the incredible victory, Pence whipped out his trusty camera to take a picture of Roxas and Igni. He snapped it and admired the good shot of them, until a silver streak snatched the photo and camera out of his hands. It happened too fast for anyone to react, but watchful eyes spotted the mysterious thief slipping away through the alley.

Igni focused on its movements, seeing how flexible it was with remarkable flips and maneuvers.

"What was that?!" Pence rubbed his wrists, unsure of what just happened. "It took my stuff."

"The thief?" Olette suggested.

All who witnessed it agreed to that conclusion, save for the three who lost the match. Hayner, Pence, and Olette gave chase to find out where the unusual thief fled to. But they were unable to keep up. It was way too fast for them to match in speed, and it escaped through the tunnel leading to the woods.

However, there were two who ran faster than they did. They followed closely behind the now flying creature, following the main path through to an open clearing. The chase ended there, in front of an old set of gates blocking entry into an old mansion. Roxas and Igni cautiously approached the man or creature in what looked to be a silver jumpsuit. It stood in the middle of the clearing as if waiting for them, but no face could be seen.

"Time to catch the thief!" Roxas said, and Igni nodded in agreement.

**_"We have come for you, my liege."_**

"What was that?" Pulling his hand back, Roxas looked around for the source of the voice. Turning to Igni, he gave her a confused look. "Did you hear that?"

"Doesn't matter right now," she said, pointing at the creature in front of them. Something unzipped, the hood over its head. A suddenly dark aura rose from the shoulders of the mysterious enemy. It made their fingers tremble, but they stood their ground against it. Regardless of how dangerous it might be, the duo chose to fight the thief and take back what it had stolen from them.

Struggle bats could only do so much in a fight against some "otherworldly" being, however. Their hits were making contact, but it wasn't fazing the foe at all. It slithered around like a snake. Every attack they made was skillfully avoided. Then, it came time for the creature to counter. Roxas was taken by surprise, getting knocked back by a strong headbutt. The creature slid around passed Igni, swiping at her back with its lengthy arms. A few scratches here and there but nothing that would keep them from fighting back anymore.

_That thing moves so fast_, Igni observed. In spite of their best efforts, the single foe pushed them back without breaking a sweat. It became clear to them that they had been outmatched. "This isn't good," Igni said in a huff.

"It's no use..." Roxas gritted his teeth.

"No, there has to be a way," Igni refused to believe his words, shaking her head. _There has to be!_

Suddenly, and without any explanation, a flash of light stopped Igni in a trance. Her grip on the foam bat loosened as images flooded her mind. They were fuzzy, but she could make out someone acting out. A girl, alone amidst several creatures. She was fighting against them with a giant... sword?

Igni closed her eyes for a few seconds and breathed in as a voice whispered into her ears. It sounded familiar. So close to her heart. "Never forget my purpose."

Her tone was hushed, making her words only for her own ears to listen to. The voice was so encouraging and warm, pushing her to fight this enemy that threatened her friends. It brought forth a renewed strength, and her golden eyes burned brighter than ever. And, as if on command, there was a flash of brilliant light in her left hand. A sword-like weapon replaced the Struggle bat. Its blade was golden in color, the guard a metallic silver. Roxas watched with wide eyes as something appeared in his own grasp. A similar weapon that had inverted colors, opposite of the one she wielded.

"What?" Roxas breathed, admiring the unusually key-shaped sword. A ring of numbers shifted around it until it fully materialized in the palm of his right hand. But as he did nothing but stare, it started to move on its own and point itself at the creature facing them. "What... What is this thing?!"

Igni nodded her head and glanced over at Roxas. Her thoughts were becoming clear now. "It wants you to fight, I think."

"Ah!" he shook himself and hunkered down offensively. "Then let's do this."

Again, they fought the mysterious enemy. It seemed that the odds were better in their favor now with these newfound tools. Unlike before, connecting strikes actually dealt damage now that they had a new strategy to follow. Use the creatures moves against it. Reversing the tide was what they did. The creature slithered behind them several times, but they used a reversal technique to get behind it and attack.

The flow of the battle continued smoothly for Roxas and Igni, until the creature was finally defeated. Igni dealt the last blow, which caused for it to dissipate and vanish. Before their very eyes, dozens of munny coins fell to the ground. More importantly, the object of their attention gently landed in the grass.

"Oh," Roxas blinked in surprise as the weapon in his hand faded away in the same fashion that it appeared. He looked around, certain that there was someone watching over them at that moment. As soon as the atmosphere lightened, he knelt down to pick up a photograph from the ground. "Is this...?"

Igni watched her sword disappear before stepping over to the boy. Her hands swiftly collected every picture and drop of munny. These items were what the thief had taken from people all over town. Pence's camera was lying around, too, so they took it back to the usual spot to return it to its rightful owner. Without looking back, they returned to town through the woods as though nothing had happened. What with the culprit being dealt with, there was nothing to worry about now.

* * *

Hayner, Pence, Olette, Roxas, and Igni gathered in a circle to sort through all of the previously stolen items. Thankfully, a name was attached to each one, save for the munny. It turned out to be a small sum of cash that no one would miss, probably. Hayner elected to turning it into some kind payment for catching the thief. No one would bother for 50 munny, he claimed.

"Look at that," Hayner said, holding out one photo at a time. The first, Roxas and the clothing shop clerk. "What's this one about?"

"I was his first customer after he took over the shop," Roxas explained. "So, we took a picture together."

"It's a really nice photo," Olette smiled, but gasped in surprise. "Oh...!"

"Hey!" Pence jumped. "You just said _photo_! The missing word came back."

Hayner grinned and nodded to everyone. Not only the physical photos were returned, but the word itself. It called for a small celebration, but the more important business came first. "So, you guys, tell us about the picture thief."

The two who had faced it in a brawl, Igni and Roxas, turned to each other and shrugged their shoulders.

"Not much to say," Roxas shook his head in defeat. "The pictures were just lying there."

"Then how do we prove we weren't the ones who took 'em?" Hayner groaned. He sneered at them, wanting something more for evidence of their defense. But his mind became distracted when he looked through the next photos. "Hey, it's a GIRL..."

"You look happy, Roxas," Olette chimed in.

"Do not." Roxas denied it and pulled out the next one.

"So, like, anybody else notice that all the stolen pictures are of Roxas?" Pence pointed out curiously.

"Ohh," Olette noticed it as she looked at them. "So that's why everyone thought it was us."

"You mean Seifer didn't go around accusing us after all?" Hayner grumbled.

"Still, it's not very fair," Igni said. "If we return them, all should be forgiven, right?"

"Are they really all of me, though?" the boy in the pictures asked. To confirm it, they looked at every photo. He was certainly in all of them, but it left Roxas even more confused. The thief even took the one of them, minus Ignis, that they took together in front of the old mansion.

Pence hummed and put them in his pocket, "Wouldn't it be weird if the thief wanted to steal the real Roxas or something?"

"C'mon, get serious," Hayner nudged Pence in the shoulder. "Why would anyone wanna steal a bonehead like Roxas?"

"Oh, thanks!" Roxas scoffed playfully at his teasing. They laughed together and put the matter of the thief behind them. Sunset was coming, and the bells were ringing to signal the end of the day. Everyone said their goodbyes and left the hangout to go home, but the heroes took their time before leaving. Igni let out a sigh and rubbed her arms when a chill blew in through the tattered curtain, but she smiled and giggled softly. "Hm? What's got you laughing?"

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head from side to side. "I was just thinking back a little bit. You know. The thief. You were really cool out there."

"Thanks, and you were, too," he smiled kindly. "Well, I'll see you back at the house. Goodnight, Igni."

"Night, Roxas," Igni replied, watching him leave. She waited a while after he set off before sitting back on the old sofa her friends were sitting in before. The sunlight from the outside was pouring in heavily still in spite of it being late. It was just as intense as the aching in her head. Igni moaned softly as the pain settled in. She held her head in her hands and closed her eyes. "My... head..."

The dizziness was coming on fast, but she fought to stay conscious. A migraine? No, it felt a lot worse than that. She could have sworn that someone was talking to her as she struggled against the throbbing ache. The voice started out low and became clearer as she sat still.

_"Where... am I? Who's there? Who are you?"_

It quickly faded away and gave her the relief of rest that she desired. Breathing out slowly, Igni stood back up and looked up at where the sunlight was coming in. _It's... It's over now. What was that?_ She sighed. "I'd better head back."

* * *

_The glow of lit computer monitors dimly illuminated the cloaked man's movements as he approached someone seated in front of the live data. They observed the information being fed, but none of the new readings were to be celebrated. The man in red bared his teeth and dug his fingers into the armrests of his seat._

_"Organization miscreants..." he spoke in a low growl. "They've found us."_

_"But, why would the Nobodies steal photographs?" the other asked. _

_"Both are nothing but data to them." Letting go of the tension, the older man leaned back and read the situation as it was. "They could never tell the difference. We are running out of time. Namine must make haste."_

_"Right... but will she be okay?" asked the cloaked man standing back in the shadows. He referred not to the girl named Namine. Rather, there was someone else on his mind. He was worried, with the enemy making their move. It was like that until he got the answer he was hoping for._

_"No need to worry. She was able to call upon the Keyblade. I imagine Roxas will be much safer in her care, even with Nobodies infiltrating the system."_


	4. Dreams & Promises

_A fuzzy image of a boy. Unconscious and slumped against a stone wall. His eyes were closed as a lanky dog licked him awake, until he was fully conscious. The boy staggered to his feet and searched around the area, a dark alley he found to be unfamiliar._

_"Where am I?" he asked no one in particular._

_The image cut to the boy running deeper into the town. Creatures of darkness were rising from the shadows all around, chasing him down at every turn. He was able to avoid them, fighting the small monsters off when he could. _

_There was someone else with him, too, but their appearance was unclear. The figure pulled him out of the way of danger, helping the boy out when given the chance._

_"What happened to our home? The island?! Riku! Kai-!" _

_The scene fuzzed out at the last second, skipping to another where the boy with spiky brown hair stood face to face with a swordsman. He had a giant, silver key in his right hand. Next to the boy was the same, blurry figure right next to him- a girl holding the same key, but with alternated colors._

_"Who are you?" the boy asked._

_"They'll come at you from out of nowhere, as long as you brats continue to wield the Keyblades," the scarred swordsman told them. __His finger was pointed right at the two teenagers, until the image of them disappeared in an explosive flare of fire._

_In another location, two odd figures fell down from the sky with smoke trailing behind them. The boy was too slow to get out of the way when the blurred girl jumped away. They were in a star-seeing heap on the ground as she watched. _

_"Hey, why don't you come with us?" the dog-like individual suggested to the two youths after the image had glitched again. "We can go to other worlds on our vessel."_

_"Sora, Ka... go with them. Especially if you two want to find your friends." The swordsman appeared, along with a black-haired girl. _

_The four stood around in a circle in the middle of the town. A human-sized, feathered duck dressed in blue clothes held out his hands in the middle of the group. He had a smile on his face in the form of an upward curving bill. They seemed happy at that moment, together in each other's friendly presence._

_"Donald Duck."_

_"Name's Goofy."_

_"I'm Sora."  
_

_"K..."_

_"We'll go with you guys," the boy named Sora said as their hands rested on top of one another._

_Each of their faces were shown, but the girl's face could only be seen up to the mouth. Silvery white bangs framed her face as she smiled softly at the others. Her mouth opened slightly as though she was about to speak, but the image of them together cut away again. Sora was sitting on a bed with the Keyblade resting on his lap. His friend, the mysterious girl from before, was sitting off to the side._

_The swordsman and ninja were there as well, lecturing the two. "The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade."_

_"That's right. The Keyblade." A brief scene of a young woman appeared. She was speaking to someone else, but on the same subject._

_Sora and the girl examined the Keyblades they were holding. He was in awe when he saw it up close, "So... this is the key."_

_"But the children are a problem. They found the Keyhole in that world," said an unseen man as Sora shot a beam of light into something referred to as the "Keyhole"._

* * *

"Hmm..." Roxas stared at his feet as he walked with Igni to the usual spot. Something on his mind had him deep in thought, she could see it on his face. Perhaps it was simply because he was easy to read. But, it was worrying to her that he was so unresponsive to her questions to how his rest was. "I just don't get it."

"Don't get what?" Igni asked. Finally hearing her for the first time in a short while, Roxas stopped in his tracks and turned to his friend with a stern look in his eye.

"I had this strange dream again about some boy I don't even know," he told her. Proceeding to talk about the dream he had, Roxas shared the uniqueness about it with her and went on about the feelings he was having. It sounded outrageous, but she nodded in understanding. "And then, there was this weird key thing, like the one I saw when we were fighting that thief. A key... key... blade? Something like that. Just what was it?"

"That's a really weird dream," Igni blinked, taken back by how well he recalled the dream he had last night. Strangely enough, she didn't find it strange that he even brought it up to her. Maybe it was more strange that she actually thought that it made sense in her mind. The gears in her own head were trying to turn._ All of that... sounds familiar. I can't quite put my finger on it._

"A Keyblade..." she murmured.

Roxas walked ahead of her, thinking about the same thing. To help himself picture it again, the exhilarating experience he had yesterday, he picked up a small stick and swung it around a few times like it was a sword. His friend stood off to the side, watching him play around with it.

"Uh, Roxas..." she raised a curious brow at his antics. If anything was weird, it was probably that. But, she had to admit that he did a good job looking tough.

He stopped what he was doing and smiled sheepishly as he examined the stick of wood. Freezing, Roxas noticed Igni giggling and tossed it behind him. "What was that about? Ah... Oh!"

They were about to leave for their group meeting with their friends, but Igni stopped when she heard a soft grunt and the sound of the stick hitting the ground. Roxas noticed it, too, and turned to see a man in black leaning against a nearby building. He said nothing, simply staring at the tossed stick. The man walked away toward the sandlot, saying nothing about what just happened.

"Sorry... about that..." Roxas tried to apologize, but the hooded man walked down the stone steps without looking back. "That was weird."

"Guess you hurt him a little," Igni half teased. "That's why you don't throw things."

"Oh, c'mon, let's just go," Roxas laughingly pulled her along to the hangout spot.

The others were already there eating ice cream. Hayner gave them trouble for being late, but their tardiness was forgiven when he passed them a couple of bars to eat. With much gratitude, they ate the Sea-Salt ice cream together and enjoyed the moment. Igni made herself comfortable on the sofa and giggled with Olette over the usual girl talk, which the boys were pushed out of.

As the morning passed into afternoon, the rest of the ice cream was being finished and some activities were done with. Sighing sadly, Pence took a small bite out of his ice cream and dropped his brown-eyed gaze to his feet.

"Do you guys think we'll always be together like this after summer ends?" he asked everyone.

"I sure hope so," Olette answered first. "We'll be going back to school soon. But, hey, we'll all be there together!"

"Huh?" Hayner leaned against the wall and gave Pence a glare. "Where did that come from?"

"Oh, well, you know," Pence mumbled. "Just thinking out loud."

"Well, I doubt we can be together forever," Hayner responded in a relaxed tone. "But isn't that what growing up's about?"

"How much we see each other isn't important, it's how often we think of each other," Igni broke into the conversation, tapping her forehead as an example. She took the last bite of her ice cream bar and stared at the short stick for a moment. The corners of her pink lips curved into a smile as she read the message on it. Licking off the melted ice cream, she flicked the stick over to where Roxas was sitting, and it landed on the armrest of the chair. "Lucky winner."

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Hayner whined. "Aw, man!"

"Ha, sounds like a fortune cookie!" Pence laughed.

"That's it, no more ice cream for you, joker!" Hayner waved his fist. They quieted down after some time and took in the moment. Not much was done, so it felt like. "Man, today's turning out to be a real drag."

"Maybe because of yesterday's memory thief," Olette thought out loud, reminding everyone of the peculiar situation with the stranger that stole everyone's photos of Roxas. But, Hayner shook his head and stretched his arms.

"Nuh-uh!" he exclaimed. "You know what it is? We don't want summer vacation to be over. That's all!"

"So, how about this? We all go to the beach! And why do we go to the beach? Because we haven't gone once this entire summer vacation. Blue seas! Blue skies! Let's just get on the train and GO!"

Turning around in hopes of seeing awe-filled eyes, Hayner was bummed to find that no one was smiling at the thoughtful idea. Everyone looked to each other quietly. "No? Aw, c'mon! You guys are giving me a hard time, y'know?"

"Maybe you forgot, but we're broke," Roxas reminded him.

"Maybe you forgot I'm smart," Hayner shot back at the boy. Motioning for them to follow, Hayner ran off for the alley. As they usually did, Roxas and Igni lagged behind. They met up with the others down the alley. The set destination was Market Street, where all of the town's liveliness hailed.

The three friends they got along with very well got there first, of course, and they joined up in front of a purple poster plastered to the side of a business office. Hayner waved Roxas and Igni down when they came around the corner. It looked interesting, the poster did. There were several around town for people to see, and it did the job of grabbing everyone's attention. Igni read it with great interest.

**_STRUGGLE! Fight for the champion's belt!_**

"Just two days to go," Hayner said, patting Roxas on the back. "You and I have to make the finals! That way, no matter who wins, the five of us split the prize. And since we have Igni, too, our chances of winning are even greater!"

"Okay, you're on!" Roxas nodded happily.

"You three are gonna clean up!" Pence cheered them on.

"Go get 'em!" Olette chimed in on the fun.

"It's a promise," Hayner locked arms with Roxas, then Igni. The excitement was running wildly but soon dimmed down when their priorities were set. "Now, let's get down to business. One ticket to the beach is 900 munny. How much for five of us?"

"4500 munny," Olette said, running the calculation.

"And 300 each to spend there," Hayner went on. "What's that for all of us?"

"1500 munny. A total of 6000 munny."

"To spend on what?" Igni asked out of curiosity.

"Pretzels, of course! What else is there?" Hayner scoffed at her question, but she laughed it off.

"Well, there's always watermelon," Roxas said.

"Too pricey," Hayner shut it down. "Those are, like, 2000 apiece."

"Pretzels it is," Igni sighed. "I like pretzels, though."

"Yeah..." Pence rubbed his tummy. "With melty cheese all over them."

"Yum!"

"Ahem!" Hayner interrupted. "So, where were we?"

"We need 6000 munny altogether," Olette continued. "But all we have is..."

Everyone emptied their pockets to check out how much they had in total. Pence had 800 munny, Olette had 650, Roxas and Igni both had 150 each. Hayner paid no mind to how much he had in his pockets, counting up all that the others had. "That's 1750 munny! We need another 4250. Let's find ourselves some odd jobs and earn some dough! We have 'til the train leaves to earn enough! Meet at the station with cash in hand!"

"Didn't he say he had it covered?" Pence asked, holding his hands behind his head.

"Whatever," Roxas shrugged his shoulders. "Those pretzels are sounding pretty good right now."


	5. Trouble with Munny

There were jobs all over town to do, and everyone in the group split up to cover their own ground. Igni broke off from the others to find some work around the Tram Common. It was a busy part of town. She was sure that someone would be needing her help around there. Possibly, the small jobs would pay a little bit better than what she found at the plaza. That was what she hoped.

It took a lot of hard effort to help out the townspeople, even the man in charge of the upcoming tournament requested her assistance with a rather simple job. Cleaning out the alley for an elderly man, which was more of a garbage disposal duty. Braving a woman's hard to remove a nest of bees. Out of everything she had done, that was perhaps the most daunting job around the block. She was glad to have made it out with only a couple bee stings.

After all the hard work, Igni let out a sigh of relief when she checked her earnings for the day. The once tiny pouch she kept in her back pocket was now heavy with munny. A proud grin spread across her face as she tossed it up and caught in her hand. There was plenty of time before the train left for the beach, so she took advantage of it and earned a little extra. "This looks like a good amount. Guess I have enough to buy a bunch of pretzels."

She hurried along to the Station Plaza, where Hayner and the others were waiting. Everyone got done around the same time and put all the funds they earned together for the grand total. They were all certain that they got enough to cover the expenses of the train ride and snacks for their vacation.

"All present and accounted for?" Hayner called out to everyone, and they lined up to present themselves. "What've we got?"

"Let's see..." Olette counted up everything, dropping the coins in an orange pouch she made herself. As she went on with counting, her eyes lit up. "Nice work, everyone. Added to what we started with, we now have... Tada! 8000 munny!"

"Sweet!" Hayner cheered.

"Let's get tickets!" Olette suggested, handing off the small bag to Roxas. She and Pence ran ahead to meet them in the station, leaving the other three behind. They were smiling and enjoyed the small victory.

"We can't be together forever," Hayner said to the other two, his friends and rivals. "We'd better make the time we do have something to remember."

"Huh?" Roxas tilted his head to the side, but Hayner ignored him and chuckled.

"Gotcha!" he laughed, punching Roxas in the gut before running after Olette and Pence. "Keep up, slowpokes!"

Roxas and Igni ran to catch up, but something swooped down and struck Roxas in the back of the head. He landed hard on the ground, shocking Igni, who ran back to check on him. But, as she knelt down, she noticed the same stick Roxas was playing with earlier in the morning lying off to the side.

"What the?" she mumbled, glancing back down at Roxas. That was when she noticed a large man dressed in a black cloak standing by. His hood was up, so she couldn't determine what his face looked like. The others hadn't said anything or even noticed. When she looked back at the station, she couldn't see them there. It was strange. That man was staring at them with the same cold glare that she felt the first time. A dark feeling came over her as she stared back at him. But, it changed when his gaze fixated on her. Igni's mind blanked as he approached. "Who... are you?"

Suddenly, the man was standing next to her. He grabbed Roxas roughly by the arm and pulled him up to his feet. Something was said to Roxas, something she couldn't quite hear. All she knew was that her friend was in a confused state.

"Roxas! Igni! Three minutes!" Hayner called out to them from the doors, appearing again.

"O-Okay!" Roxas replied. The man they were just confronted by vanished without a sound, leaving them to their own. "That was odd."

"You okay?" Igni asked as they entered the train station. "That looked like a hard hit."

"I'll be fine," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "What hit me, anyway?"

"...A stick..." Igni smirked, baffling the boy. They rejoined the others at the front desk, where Hayner asked for the train tickets.

"Roxas, the munny!" Pence called out to him.

Roxas reached into his pocket to grab the pouch, but he was surprised that it wasn't there. Nothing in his other pockets, either. "Wait-" he panicked, patting himself all over for the munny they worked so hard to earn. "No! That guy... He took it!"

"Where are you going?" The others were anxious when Roxas ran to the doors. Igni blinked a couple of times, remembering the guy they bumped into. _The one who tripped Roxas..._

"Remember when I fell?" Roxas stopped. "I had the munny before that. I bet that guy took it!"

"Guy?" Hayner gave Roxas a weird look. "What are you talking about? There was no guy."

"He couldn't have gotten too far..." Roxas trailed off. He dropped his shoulders when the others failed to believe him. "But... Igni, you saw him, too, right?"

Believing everything that she had witnessed, she nodded in agreement. The argument ended there when the train horn sounded, and the ride to the beach left for its destination without them. Their friends were upset, Hayner in particular. Igni gave her friend a pat on the shoulder in hopes of comforting him, but he was distraught. "There wasn't anyone... there?"

"It'll be fine, Roxas," she told him, smiling kindly.

The others passed them by, saying nothing more about it. Instead, the left for the clock tower right above the station. With what spare munny they had, a box of ice cream was bought to help pass the time as they sat on the narrow ledge. There was a lot of space between Roxas and the others. Igni sat between him and them, with the gap being on her right.

Igni finished her ice cream first and licked up what was left on the stick, her favorite part. The others were still making progress on theirs, but Roxas hadn't touched his. "Your ice cream is melting," Igni had told him.

"Sorry..." Roxas said in a low voice.

"Cheer up already!" Hayner waved his hand. While it was disappointing to have lost the munny, they forgave him. There would be another day to go to the beach, was their thought.

Roxas looked down at the long way down to the plaza, his eyes closed. He thought back to when the man had grabbed him. "Can you feel... Sora?"

"Hm?" Igni glanced at him, biting down on the cleaned ice cream stick.

"That's what he said to me," Roxas explained to her, but the others were not listening. "You didn't hear it?"

"I heard something," she shrugged her shoulders. Igni closed her eyes and held the stick out to Roxas. "Oh, and... here's today's winner, too."

* * *

_"Namine, hurry."_

_In front of the computers again, the two men met for a discussion. The man in black tossed up a small pouch, the same one that Roxas had lost. He was frowning under his hood as he caught it again in his hand._

_"Is it really that hard to make a beach?' he asked._

_"We'd be giving the enemy another entry point," the other explained. "Besides... your friend failed to do it correctly the first time."_

_"And this?" _

_Turning around, the masked man in the chair saw the pouch and chuckled. A clever idea came to mind as he thought about it. "We can always buy some Sea-Salt ice cream."_

_"Objects from that town must be kept out of the real world," he said, taking a serious note. "You can delete that."_


	6. Strange Encounters

_"As the key bearer, or key bearers, you must already know." An image appeared of a world under the great and blue ocean where mermaids and mermen reigned. Sora, Donald, and Goofy. There was another one there, but her face unseen. The king of the sea was talking down to them concerning the Keyblade. "One must not meddle in the affairs of other worlds."_

_"So many places I want to see... I know I'll get there someday," a red-haired mermaid dreamed out loud, swimming up to the top of her grotto._

_The image cut to a different world, where Sora and his friends stood before a mighty hero and a mythological human-beast hybrid._

_"Thus, I do hereby dub thee junior heroes-" the short and stout man announced to Sora and his friends, but he was interrupted by Donald._

_"Hey!" the magician wailed. "What do you mean 'junior heroes'?!"_

_"You rookies still don't understand what it takes to be true heroes," they were told, but the scene discontinued._

_Someplace else, on another "world", a young man sat on the steps in his home with a blue genie floating in front of him. Sora, Donald, and Goofy were with him. "I... I wish... for your freedom, Genie."_

_"Al!" the genie was shocked, taken back by the intended wish. But, he obeyed the command and was freed from his binds._

_And, another world... a dark and dreary place._

_"Sally, why didn't I listen to you?" a tall skeleton sulked, slouching his shoulders._

_A ragdoll of a woman approached him, comfortingly patting his arm and taking his hands into hers. "Don't feel bad, Jack. We'll come up with another plan for Halloween. Next time, we'll do it together."_

_The loving images passed and made way for one of Sora stabbing his Keyblade into the ground. A cloud of black smoke rose, which a small creature emerged from. It was a little red dragon. "I am Mushu!" it exclaimed atop Sora's head._

_"Or are you too cool to play them now that you have the Keyblade?" Immediately after, another scene played. In it, a young boy with silver hair glared at Sora. They were inside a dark place covered in slime, the inside of a massive whale. __Next to the silver-haired boy was a girl shrouded in mystery. The shadows seemed to hide her identity._

_"Riku! K...!" Sora exclaimed, spotting them. "What are you two doing here?!"_

_"Kai-" Sora's words cut out as they moved further into the depths of the whale. It was only for an instant, but there was an image of a girl with auburn hair and a kind smile. "Did you find her?"_

_"I still can't believe it," Sora said, the scene shifting to another point. He stood on the deck of a ship, with his friends standing off to the side. His gaze was focused on the sky. "I really flew. Wait 'til I tell Kai-"_

_"I wonder if she'll believe me. Probably not."_

_A tiny fairy in a green dress, a clock tower where a boy in a green outfit flew around. Back to the coliseum, where a man in a red cape passed by Sora and his friends._

_"We're searching, too." Sora was talking to the man, and the mysterious girl was right there with him._

_"For your light? Don't lose sight of it," the daunting figure encouraged them. The man walked away, leaving them behind._

_Sora and the friend with no clear image stood atop a moonlit hill. Behind them were there friends within a world telling a tender story. "Sora, K... where are you going?"_

_"We're gonna go and look for our friends," the boy said. "They're waiting for us."_

_"Where are Donald and Goofy? And K...! Where is she?" Sora demanded to know, the images moving back to the pirate ship. There he was, standing face to face with Riku. _

_"Instead of worrying about them, you should be asking about her," Riku glared coldly at Sora. Behind him were two girls, one was slumped in the other's arms. He stepped out of the way, but the image of them flashed away to Sora sealing another Keyhole within that same world._

_It all whited out shortly after. But as that blank page purged the memories, a blurry image of Riku confidently grinning appeared. His arms were folded across his chest as he stared ahead. Behind him, there was the girl with auburn hair. She was standing with a blurry smile on her face. _

_"Sora." A voice spoke up, breaking the silence. Riku and the girl with bright blue eyes faded away. Coming into view through the white fog was a young girl with silvery white hair. She came from the distance, her face still unclear. Her golden eyes were piercing. At some point, she stopped and smiled. And as she smiled, she held out her left hand for it to be taken in another's. _

* * *

_Within the old mansion, there was a white chamber. A girl wearing a white dress stood in front of a large pod, her arms at her sides. Suddenly, it became dark, and the girl glowed in the midst of darkness. Was she an angel? Or something else? There was no way to figure it out, but Roxas was approaching her in that same darkness. He stopped some feet away and watched her curiously._

_"Who are you?" he asked, and the girl turned around with a caring smile on her face._

* * *

"Roxas," Igni approached the boy, wandering into the usual spot. But, when she got there, only he was present. The others were gone, or so she thought. "Hey, where is everyone?"

"Oh, uh... Hayner left a note," he said, showing her the note.

_Meet at the station. Today's the day we hit the beach- and don't sweat about the munny! - Hayner_

"The station, huh?" she mused, thinking about their failed attempt at going to the beach the first time. It sounded like a pleasant idea now. "Guess we have no choice. Let's go."

"Yeah!" Roxas nodded.

They left the usual spot and ran along the path to the plaza. That was where Hayner was supposed to be waiting for them. But, as they were walking up the hill, they heard talking from behind. _Oh, it's Pence and Olette_. Igni saw them walking together with a box of ice cream. Naturally, they went to greet the two to join up with them before heading up to the station.

"Hey!" Roxas called out, alerting the two of their presence.

"Morning," Olette greeted back. However, something strange happened when they went to step over to Roxas and Igni. It was as if time had frozen them in place.

"Huh...?" Roxas gasped. "You guys?"

"Are they... frozen?" Igni wondered, rushing over to them. But, then a mysterious girl appeared in front of Roxas, cutting him off from his friend. The silver-haired girl stopped and turned around when she heard him skidding to a stop. "Hey, what're you... Who are you?"

"Hello, Roxas," the newcomer smiled brightly at the boy. He was caught off guard but managed a return greeting. The blonde-haired girl was looking around at the scenery, like it was something new. Her eyes stopped on Igni as she stood there with wide eyes. Their eyes met at that moment. "I see that you've been adjusting well."

"You are...?" Roxas broke in, but the girl held up her hand for him to be quiet a moment.

"I wanted to meet you at least once," she said, gently pressing her fingers together.

"Me?" Roxas blinked.

"Yes, you," she nodded. He was flattered and unsure of what to say. But, before he could even utter a word, the girl walked away. Igni walked up to Roxas with a confused look on her face. He was just as confused. "I don't know what that was about, but she looks... familiar."

"Think so?" Igni asked. Looking back over her shoulder to where the girl had gone, Igni narrowed her eyes and thought about it quietly. "It's strange. I get the feeling that she's... someone I know."

"Do you rem-" Roxas started to ask, but time seemed to play again.

"Olette dragged me along to go shopping," Pence suddenly cut in, having been granted free motion once more. He didn't seem to notice the odd predicament he was just in a few seconds ago and rambled on about the shopping trip into town they were going on.

"Hey, do you two wanna come with us?" the bright girl asked.

"Um, uhh, wait..." Roxas looked around to find the strange girl they were just talking to, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Did you just see that-"

"He's stalling..."

Neither bought into it and assumed that the boy was trying to get out of shopping, though he was adamant that he indeed saw the girl moments ago. They bid him farewell and went on their way, leaving the two friends behind. Igni frowned as he stared ahead at the direction where the girl went. He took a step forward and thoughtfully sighed. "Did she go to that haunted mansion?"

"Igni, let's go check it out," he pulled her along without her consent, but Igni went with it and followed.

"Are you sure we should be rushing after her like this?" she asked him, but he stopped abruptly before she could get her answer. Igni stared at him, annoyed that he didn't respond, but then she saw why. There was the girl, walking toward the hole in the concrete wall. _I... I have a bad feeling about this._

"Roxas! Wait for me!"

Running after him, Igni caught up partway through the woods. The girl vanished again and with no trail left for them to follow. Not that it was needed. There was no doubt that she made her way to the mansion on the other side of the forest. That was where they needed to be, where he needed to be.

"Just a little further... Hm? Whoa!" Roxas jumped back when a black miasma rose from the ground. He was pulled back by Igni's hands as it gathered into a solidifying ball of dark matter. "What is that?!"

The miasma ruptured and released numerous creatures from the black abyss it was. To their horror, three flexible creatures emerged and tried to surround them. Two cut off the path to the mansion while the third stood midair above Roxas to get a good look at him. The teens yelped; it tried to pull him into the _portal _they came through. Igni's eyes widened, _Those are the same as that thief from the other day! Where did they come from?!_

"Lemme go! I-Igni, we have to run away," Roxas shouted, pulling himself free with his friend's help. Together, they ran away from the woods. The enemy was in hot pursuit, chasing them all through the town. They ran with all their might, eventually losing the mysterious enemies at the sandlot, so they believed. But, there was another obstacle waiting at that point. This one was in the form of four rivals from the disciplinary gang of Twilight Town- Seifer, Fuu, Rai, and Vivi.

They noticed Roxas and Igni running through, but they happened to be an unwelcome sight in their eyes. Seifer narrowed his eyes and gave a firm 'tsk' at the two.

"Hey, chicken wuss, princess," Seifer called out. Although there was little time to mess around with a bitter rival, they stopped in their tracks to catch their breaths. The muscle-toned teen was ready to dish out a verbal punishment, until the three pursuers appeared. "What?"

"Who's that?" Fuu questioned, motioning for Vivi to run away.

"I dunno, but they've already crossed the line," Seifer took a serious tone and clenched his fists. "Find a weapon!"

Roxas did as he was told and discovered a stray Struggle bat. Like a skilled athlete, he cartwheeled to the side and grabbed the foam bat in his hand to combat the enemies. There was another one behind him, which Igni carefully plucked off the ground. Her eyes scanned it two times over as the others took on one foe. The rush of battle seemed to shake the sandlot. She could feel the intensity escalating, all from where she stood.

Igni's eyes rose from the useless weapon in her grasp to the view of Roxas trying to fight off the silver creature. It made her cringe badly when he got outmaneuvered and hit. _What use is this stupid thing if it can't damage them?_ She argued within her own mind. _We can't win like this._

It was the last straw when her friend was knocked onto his back. Seifer and the others were surrounded by the enemy, helpless. Still, the boy managed to get back up to his feet without any major injuries. He was ready to fight again, but then the unexpected happened. Time froze for the second time, turning Seifer's gang into the next victims. Yet, the three enemies still moved without restraint.

However, there was one other who could do as she pleased with time stopping. She threw the blue bat away and ran to Roxas as he was surrounded. Not wanting to let him get hurt, she stood in between them and him with her arms spread out to the sides. Igni was panting but determined to protect him from the danger.

**_"Roxas! Kara! Use the Keyblade!" _**

A girl's voice shouted from the top of a building overlooking the sandlot. Seeing her had him distracted. It was the same girl he was looking for earlier. He didn't see the attack coming, one of them lunged forward at him. Holding his hands up in defense, Roxas tried to defend himself. Surely, the pain would come in an instant. It was going to hurt a lot. His eyes closed in anticipation; the adrenaline was running its course through his body. And yet, in the rush of the moment, he felt strangely at ease when a hand pressed against his chest. Warmth filled his heart as a light flashed.

"Roxas..." the boy opened his eyes to see Igni standing in front of him, her half-lidded gaze met his blue eyes. Her hand retracted from his bosom, and she took a step back. The light dispersed around them, revealing to their eyes an entirely new location. Beneath their feet was a brightly colored, stained-glass platform. Endless darkness surrounded it and them, their enemies stood within it outside the rim of the platform. Igni exhaled quietly and admired the designs she saw. Four colorless faces, and a brown-haired boy holding the Keyblade. Unlike them, he appeared to be sleeping. Igni's eyes focused on each face, stopping last at the fully colored one. _These faces. I know them._

Stepping away from Roxas, to his dismay, Igni approached the edge of the platform. She stopped short of it, between the four faces. Roxas continued to look around, wondering what was happening. "What's going on, Igni? Where are we? How did we get here?"

"I just... didn't want them to do anything to you," she replied, turning around to see three different weapons appear out of thin air- a sword, shield, and rod. Three rays of light from above shined down upon each one. He didn't understand, but his body moved on its own to the sword in the middle. Igni's words had gone out the other ear. "I..."

"Is this a dream?" Roxas subconsciously took the sword in his hand, watching it disperse into pieces of light. Power flowed into his body, filling him with confidence to face anything. A radiant light flashed in his right hand, showing him the manifestation of the Keyblade. The same one from that time. At least, it wasn't moving on its own this time. Igni closed her eyes and opened her left palm. The call reached out to her, too. Another Keyblade appeared in her possession. "The Keyblade."

It was no time for them to stand around and admire the powerful weapons. They quickly dove into the heat of battle against the enemies, who were swiftly defeated by their own hands. Beating the mysterious enemies seemed to give them both newfound strength. Another result of their victory brought forth a door. Going through it took them to another series of platforms that rose to greater heights. A white staircase connected each, allowing them to press forward.

No words were exchanged. They only fought the constantly appearing enemies until making it to the top, where another door awaited. Roxas stepped through first, followed by Igni. Something on the other side seemed to force his attention away. He was walking forward, mindless of what was happening around him.

"Roxas!" Igni cried out to him. He whipped around, spotting a man in a black cloak behind her. The unknown man's figure transformed. Long tentacles shot out of the back, rising with the rest of a gargantuan form. There was nothing to prepare Roxas, who stepped back in fear as the monstrous figure took his friend hostage. He wanted to run away, seeing that she was unconscious. But, there was no place to run to, except back to the monster.

"Okay... I'll take you on!" Roxas exclaimed, summoning the Keyblade to his hands. The monster took it as a challenge and released its hold of Igni. White and black thorns surrounded her body. She was lifted up into the air, above the platform, while Roxas remained below to fight.

He boldly faced the giant enemy with his power alone, managing to overcome the daunting trial. Alone, Roxas was able to defeat it. When she was within reach, he reclaimed Igni as the giant fell on top of them both. Just barely did it miss them, though. But the darkness threatened to take them away from each other. Roxas was struggling within, trying to escape with Igni, who somehow slipped through his arms.

"No...!" Roxas yelled, groping for something to hold on to. He reached his hand out, and a girl took him by the wrist. Light seemed to blast the darkness away.


	7. Misunderstandings

_"Huh...?"_

_Nothing but pure white. Roxas looked around himself, seeing a blank void everywhere. A girl was sitting on a ledge in front of him. He recognized her to be the one who saved him. __Wanting to speak, he opened his mouth to say something, but she raised a finger to her lips and shushed the boy. Gesturing to herself, she spoke up first._

_"My name is Namine," the girl introduced. "Roxas... Do you remember your true name?"_

_Roxas stared at her, confused by the strange question. He didn't know how to answer it, but then a cloaked man stepped in and grabbed Namine by the arm. The way he picked her up angered Roxas, but there was nothing he could do to help her._

_"Say no more, Namine," the man said. _

_"But if no one tells him, Roxas will..." Namine tried to argue back._

_"It's best he doesn't know the truth," he raised his voice. _

_"Hey!" Roxas stepped forward and pointed an accusing finger at the imposing figure. It was all coming back to him, that man's identity. "You're that pickpocket! Did you take Igni, too?!"_

_Having heard enough, the "pickpocket" opened a corridor of darkness behind Roxas. The boy backed away from it, but he was caught off guard by a hand pushing him into it. He fell unconscious and with no answers to his concerns. The darkness took him away from that place where he met with Namine and back to somewhere he felt more safe..._

* * *

"Seifer, strike a pose, y'know?"

"How's this?" Seifer flexed his muscles in front of the camera.

Roxas stirred awake, realizing that he was in the middle of the picture, and they were making a mockery out of him. It was insulting and angering to him when he saw what they were doing. The cheers from Rai burned his ears. Getting up from the ground, Roxas balled his hands into fists and yelled at them. "What's that for?!"

"Keepsake," Fuu explained in a single word.

"Those freaks in the white jumpsuits are gone, y'know?" Rai told him about the situation.

"Cakewalk," Fuu smirked.

"What were those things?" Roxas asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"Outsiders, that's what," Seifer said. "And if they don't wise up to the rules around here, I might have to take _disciplinary measures_."

"Oh yeah, Seifer's always lookin' after the town, y'know?" Rai grinned.

"A-And Igni...?" Roxas glanced around in search of his friend, until he saw her approaching from the sidelines. She wore a frown on her face, like something was bothering her. Regardless of how she appeared to him, he felt glad to see that she was okay. The tension in his jaw softened, and Roxas nodded to her.

But, the gladness slipped away when his eyes met with Hayner's. They just walked into the sandlot, in time to see them with Seifer's gang. Without uttering a word, Hayner ran back up to the alley with Pence and Olette right behind him. It was a misunderstanding. That was all it was. But, Hayner looked so hurt and offended. Unsure of what to do, Igni and Roxas followed. "Wait up!"

"Hey! No chickening out of the tournament tomorrow!" Seifer shouted after them.

By the time they arrived at the usual spot, the others were there with ice cream bars in hand. The tension in the atmosphere was harsh, especially around Hayner. He didn't even bother to spare a look at them. "So, you guys hung out with Seifer's gang today?"

"No... It wasn't like that," Igni said in a low voice. She folded her arms and shook her head at the assumption. Although, it must have looked exactly like that from their perspective. She couldn't really blame them for what they thought they saw.

"Oh yeah! How was the beach?" Roxas broke in, trying to lighten the mood. "Wasn't that today?"

"We didn't go," Olette said. "It wouldn't be the same without you two, right?"

"...Sorry..." Roxas dropped his head.

"Hey... how 'bout we go tomorrow?" Roxas suggested. "We could get those pretzels and-"

"I promised I'd be somewhere." Hayner interrupted rudely, taking a chomp out of his ice cream.

"Oh..."

"The tournament is tomorrow," Igni reminded him.

"I'm outta here." Hayner shoved passed Roxas and left for home. Although his friends were reassuring, it left a deep hole in his chest. Right there, in Roxas's heart, he could feel the pain. They all left the usual spot. The rift went without mending, making it hard for the troubled boy to feel at ease.

Igni, having something else on her mind, approached the red curtain. She stopped short of it and glanced over her shoulder at Roxas. He was standing there with a hurt expression. It hurt her, too, seeing him so down. But it seemed to her like there was nothing in her power to fix it. The day was a tough one full of unsettling surprises. "I'll see you back at the house."

* * *

_"Was that Namine made of data?"_

_The two men watching the monitors expressed their deep interest in the situation._

_"No... Namine hijacked the data herself." Displeased, the man in red shook his head and gritted his teeth. In a fit of anger, his fist collided with the keyboard. "Look what she's done now... She's totally beyond my control!"_

_"Calm down," said the other. "We have to trust that Kara will handle her part."_

_"It doesn't matter." Relaxing, the examiner went back to watching the screens. "As long as Namine accomplishes her goal... we needn't worry about what befalls Roxas."_

_"And what about Kara?" the cloaked pickpocket folded his arms across his chest, asking about his friend. "She doesn't need to be there any longer, DiZ."_

_"No." They argued briefly. Standing from the chair, the amber-eyed man stepped closer to his ally. "That girl is vital in this process. Her connection with Sora's memories and Roxas are essential."_

_"We wait, until the right time arises."_


	8. The Struggle Tournament

_Sora was smiling as he flew toward a sparkling light in the distance. A voice was guiding him to it. Flashing to the other side, he extended his hand forward to reach for a little girl with auburn hair. Although younger looking, he knew it to be his friend, but she vanished._

_"It's up to us." _

_Deep within Hollow Bastion, Sora picked up his unconscious friend as Riku spoke up. An image cut in, showing the boy tainted by darkness snatching away the Keyblade from Sora. It flashed into his hands, making him smile darkly. _

_"Only the Keyblade masters can open the secret door and change the fate of the worlds."_

_A dark Riku shot a ball of fire at Sora, only for it to be deflected by Goofy's shield. "But I'm not gonna betray Sora, either!"_

_"All for one and one for all!" Donald said, running up to Sora. _

_At that time, the Keyblade vanished from the dark Riku's hands and back to Sora's. The boy, rejoined by his friends and the Keyblade, stared danger in the face with much courage._

_"My friends are my power!" Sora boldly declared. In a brief instant, he was shaking another of his friends awake, but she was unresponsive. Her face flashed in a separate image. That girl who always smiled so sweetly._

_Standing before Sora and his friends was a beastly man with sharp fangs. He was impressed by what he saw in the boy. "So, your heart won this battle."_

_Flashing to an isolated part of the Heartless-ran world, Sora was fazed through by an unknown man wearing a black coat. His face was hidden beneath a hood as he assaulted the Keyblade master. Their powers clashed, causing for that part of the castle to collapse. But, Sora stood against the powerful foe, his friends by his side. The girl with silver hair was standing next to Sora with a fire burning in her amber eyes._

_"It is I, Ansem." Sora, and Riku-Ansem clashed against each other. A Keyblade of light and a Keyblade of darkness collided with each other. "Lead me into everlasting darkness!"_

_"Sora!"_

_"Forget it!" Sora blocked an attack with a renewed strength given to him. "There's no way you're taking Kairi's heart!"_

_Donald and Goofy tried to stop the boy, who had won the battle. He impaled his own heart with the dark Keyblade, freeing the lost hearts of the seven princesses. Kairi's heart, as well, was returned to her. But at the cost, Sora faded away into darkness._

_Yet, even as he walked as a Shadow, Kairi protected him. Her light shined and returned him to who he was before. They embraced one another. _

_"Kairi." Kairi smiled and giggled playfully. Her image fading away in a bright light._

_"We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other." Leon told the young heroes. _

_"No matter where we are, our hearts will bring us together again." Aerith added, encouraging them to never give up hope._

_In a secret waterway, Sora stood together with Kairi and Kara. A charm was placed in his hand by the blue-eyed girl. "Take this with you. It's my lucky charm. Be sure to give it back to me."_

_"Don't worry. I will." Sora smiled, holding it close to his heart._

_"Promise?"_

_"Don't ever forget..." Kairi's voice echoed as Sora sealed a Keyhole blending with the darkness. "Wherever you go, I'm always with you."_

* * *

_Roxas rose out of bed and searched around his room. Plagued by another powerful dream, he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. For some reason, he felt like it made more sense than the others. The names and faces were beginning to ring a bell, though Roxas was not entirely sure just yet._

_Staring out the window at the rising sun, he breathed out and reflected on what he remembered of the dream. "Right... 'Promise'..."_

_He formed a fist with his right hand and pretended to swing a sword. Sighing loudly and rubbing the back of his head, the boy clamped his eyes shut and mumbled the words to himself, "What a mess..."_

* * *

Igni lied in her bed, wide awake. She had been lying on her back staring at the ceiling for nearly an hour now as thoughts poured into her mind. Why they did, she couldn't explain it. What she did know was that they meant something. And, then, she couldn't help but think back to that time when those strange creatures chased her and her friend through town. It was bothersome. Not that they were crazy by attacking viciously. Well, that was part of it. But the girl who was on the rooftop.

Sighing, the youth shifted onto her side and gazed at the bookshelf in her room. Something felt off and wrong. _Roxas and... who?_

The morning sun was peeking over the horizon now, and warm sunlight inched ever closer to the window of her bedroom. Eventually, it slipped in through a slit between the window curtains and brought in some light to the room. A line of sunshine trailed over Igni's cheek, interrupting the moment she had to herself. It was about time to get up, and she didn't really have a choice to. Roxas, if he was up on time, would be coming by at any moment to make sure she was ready.

Today was the big day for the Struggle tournament. Hayner told her about it some time ago, before the misunderstanding at the sandlot. The man in charge of it was reluctant to let her sign up at the last minute yesterday. It was going to make it hard with the line-up, he told her. She was glad he added her to it after some more prodding. But, now she was beyond the point of backing out. Fighting was one thing, but she was hardly comfortable fighting against Hayner or Roxas. What if she was pinned against one or both of them? They were her friends. Even if it was a friendly competition, she didn't want to add fuel to any fires.

She pulled herself out of bed and tugged at the curtains to let in some more light, her deep thinking coming to a close. Eyes squinting at the flood of sunlight, Igni mumbled quietly to herself, "Just do what you can, I guess."

"Hm?" Igni's eyes fell on the door when she heard a sound. Shuffled footsteps and a soft tap against the oak wood. A piece of white paper was slid under the door, and the person on the other side fled. "Roxas?"

Igni got out of bed and investigated the note; she read the neatly written text silently.

_Igni,_

_I'll meet you at the alley. Today is the big day for the Struggle Tournament._

_We made a promise with Hayner the other day, so let's keep it._

_\- Roxas_

"Short and to the point as ever," she said half jokingly.

Smiling to herself, Igni hurried to the closet to get dressed for the occasion. She chose a simple outfit that wouldn't get in her way when participating in the Struggle rounds- a white, zippered shirt with short sleeves, black arm sleeves reaching from her wrists to the elbows, gray pants, and red slip-on shoes. It was her usual look around the town, and it would be for this day, too.

She met up with Roxas at the alley he mentioned in the note given to her, and they hurried along to the stairs on the other side that led to the sandlot. That was the quickest way either of them could think of, or else they'd miss out going any other route.

"You two better hurry to the sandlot!" a man putting up another poster called out to them. "You're gonna be late!"

"T-Thanks," Roxas said, rushing ahead with Igni close behind. He was right. They found that out when a loud noise coming from the sandlot echoed.

The sandlot was crowded with people from all over Twilight Town and the next town over. Loud cheers of excitement roared all around. Parents and their children were clapping happily as the announcer introduced them to the tournament. Igni's eyes beamed at the crowds. There were even townspeople on the rooftops. _So this is what a Struggle Tournament is like,_ she let out a breath of awe as fireworks exploded in the sky.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Struggle-fiends of Twilight Town! It's time for summer's most sizzling clash," the announcer stood up in the center of the square arena. "That's right! Today is the day for the Struggle and title match!"

"Who will be the one to break through the ranks and take on our champion, Setzer?!"

"Seifer, y'know?" Igni heard Rai's voice from somewhere in the crowd. It prompted her to roll her eyes sarcastically.

"And who will leave today as our new Struggle Champion?!" the announcer continued, ignoring the teen's remark.

"Hayner! Roxas!" To her surprise, Olette and Pence were standing on the sidelines cheering her friends on. They had no hard feelings, it seemed.

"Setzerrr!"

Deafening shrieks from women all over the sandlot pierced Igni's ears. Roxas, who was standing right next to a group of them, covered his ears with his hands and cringed. A tall man with a thick mane of silver hair stepped up onto the square arena. The formidable looking man had thin scars on his face. He was taking in the rush of the moment so calmly and flaunted the large champion belt over his shoulder.

"Yes, the crowd is fired up, so you know what comes next," exclaimed the announcer, who scooted closer to the champion. "Let's... **STRUGGLE**!"

"Hey, now," another man replaced the two in the arena. He held a microphone and got the audience slightly settled down with his announcement. "It's time to introduce today's combatants!The four bad boys who struggled their way through the preliminaries! And, we have ourselves a special newcomer to the Struggle!"

"Regular finalist and head of the Twilight Disciplinary Comittee: Seifer!"

"Completely out of nowhere. Who knew he'd make it so far THIS year? Vivi!"

"An underground favorite and local attitude problem: Hayner! It's his first trip to the finals!"

"Here's Struggler number four, who happens to be my absolute favorite customer: Roxas!"

"A brand new face all over Twilight Town and the neighborhoods best friend! Showing her face to the Struggle out of the blue! Let's give her a warm welcome: Igni!"

Tension rose when Hayner and Roxas locked eyes. The longer she watched them eye each other, the more Igni felt like the tournament was going to be less exciting than she thought. Her friend turned away as if in shame and held his head low. She put a hand on his shoulder encouragingly, but he only gave a small smile.

What could be done? That was the main thing she had on her mind at that moment.

"So, who will win this sweltering summer Struggle?" asked the fiery announcer. "Who will take on the grand prize? The summa cum laude of Struggle- the Four Crystal Trophy! AND... a chance to take on our defending champion, Setzer! It won't be long now, folks. I suggest our challengers go over to the official Struggle Rules before we begin!"

The high energy of the festival died down for some time before the matches were to start. Hayner and Seifer were already over with the official in charge of laying down the rules. Taking their time, Roxas and Igni walked together across the sandlot.

"You gonna be okay?" Igni asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"..." Roxas quietly nodded.

No verbal answer was given. The hurt look on his face was enough to give her a hint. _It's going to be a long day, unless they make up somehow_, she thought.

The referee called out to all of the contestants, luring them in to a group huddle. Igni stood in between Vivi, who was particularly quiet and staring straight ahead at seemingly nothing, and Roxas. There was a blackboard behind the referee, allowing her to see their names lined up in brackets. It looked confusing to the eyes of the Struggle's newcomer, so she was eager to hear the rules.

"You boys already know the rules, but a refresher can't hurt," the referee said. He turned to Igni and nodded. "Make sure you listen good, okay?"

"It's easy!" he continued after a brief pause, handing each of them harnesses with colored orbs sticking to them. "You've each got 100 orbs. Using these Struggle bats, you attack to take away your opponent's orbs. When the match is over, the one with the most orbs wins! It's as simple as that."

"Okay, now all eyes on the board! We're getting this thing started. Hayner and Roxas, head up there with the tournament promoter!"

"...Don't hold back," Hayner mumbled to Roxas, passing him by to the arena.

"Good luck," Igni nodded to Roxas, urging him to do well.

The two boys were given the blue foam bats to use in the match, accompanied by a friendly pat on the back by the promoter. Without much expression, Hayner moved to his side and pointed his bat at Roxas, who was less than thrilled to be fighting a friend at the start of the tournament.

Igni, who was sitting on a bench near Seifer and Vivi, watched with worried eyes. It was surprising to her that they actually spoke to each other at that moment. They seemed to be back on the same page by the look of it. Hayner was smiling and so was Roxas. It made her feel more at ease. _Good luck to the both of you._

"Our first match of today's Struggle tournament will be between Roxas and his best friend, Hayner!" the referee announced.

The match was intense and both gave their all to win. Ultimately, with his skillfully accurate moves, Roxas came out on top. Roars of exciting energy were released all over the sandlot as Hayner fell onto his back in defeat. Yet the both of them got together in high spirits in the middle of the playing field. It was a pleasant sight to their friends on the sidelines, seeing them playfully nudge each other.

"Out of the way..." Seifer shoved by Hayner, nearly tipping him over.

"What? You in a rush to lose?" Hayner snapped back, but he was ignored.

The next contestants taking the arena caused for low murmurs to come up. It was Seifer fighting next, and the much smaller Vivi sneakily appeared right beside Roxas. None seemed to notice him waddling across the grounds. And, no one else but Roxas noticed the creepy chuckling, so it appeared. But keen eyes from nearby caught on and found it to be quite strange.

As Roxas took his place next to Igni, those blank eyes beneath the pointed hat followed. Vivi stood in the middle of the square, watching both teens carefully. Seifer, who was standing by with his Struggle bat, growled and narrowed his eyes. "Don't mess with your elders."

Those were the last words before the match between Seifer and his underling, Vivi, began. Immediately, the disciplinary captain was put on the defensive by Vivi's swift movements. _How can he move so fast?_ were the words running through Igni's head as she watched on.

"When did Vivi get so tough?" Hayner blurted, jaw dropping somewhat.

"No idea," Roxas said. "If Seifer can get one orb and wait for the time to run out..."

It may have been pure luck for Seifer to swipe a single orb off of Vivi's belt. He was eager to make a run for it and escape with a narrow victory, if only Vivi didn't get to it first. Seifer grunted as a strong strike struck him down, and he flew to the ground with all of his yellow orbs rolling away.

"I-I'm not sure what happened, folks," the announcer stuttered with pure shock. Everyone in the audience fell silent after having witnessed what had just took place. The short contestant merely ignored it and walked away to the sidelines, claiming the victory for himself. "Um... but... the winner is Vivi! In a positively blistering comeback!"

Seifer collected himself eventually and limped down to where Roxas, Hayner, and Igni were. A mean scowl was on his face as he approached them.

"That's not Vivi," Seifer's quiet words held much meaning. "Somebody needs to thrash 'im."

"It looks like Seifer's withdrawn from the Struggle for Third Place," the promoter announced.

"So I'm in third now?" Hayner gasped. "Aw, baby!"

Igni blinked in surprise and glanced across the sandlot at a zippered hat poking above the stage. She swallowed a lump in her throat and slowly nodded her head. A strange vibe was given off by that... that mysterious boy. It couldn't be explained, but she felt something was off. The girl held her breath and clenched her teeth firmly. _I... I have a bad feeling... _

"The next match will begin in 20 minutes!" the promoter said to the group, informing them of the break time that had just begun. "Alright, little lass. Your time to shine is coming up. If you aren't back by the time the tournament picks up again, it's a disqualification."

"Right..." she nodded slowly. But, the girl's head was elsewhere. Something was on her mind and took her thoughts away from her. A voice whispering to her was drawing her away. Looking to the stairs leading up to the alley, she saw the source of the peculiar voice. There was some mysterious figure over that way, yet no one else saw him. No one else heard him calling out to her.

_"Kara..."_

Practically senseless, Igni pushed her way through the cluster of townspeople and followed the voice without letting anyone else know that she was going. Her friends lost sight of her soon enough. The girl disappeared into the growing shadows of the alley without a trace.


	9. Deep Questions

_"He... hehehehh..." Vivi chuckled darkly. "RR...Ro...xaa...ssss..."_

_Roxas gulped and nervously looked around for any sign of Igni. The next round was about to start, but she was going to miss it. It would be Vivi, the little fighter who beat Seifer, as her opponent. She needed to be there to beat him, he thought. If not, then his friend was going to get disqualified from the tournament._

_He waited impatiently for her to return. The promoter was also tired of waiting around for Igni to show up. "Please, just give her a few more minutes!" __Pleas left his mouth as he spoke with the man in charge of the tournament, but the man shook his head._

_"Time's run out, kid," he explained._

_"Then, can I fight in her place?" Roxas asked, surprising the promoter. "Let me fight for Igni until she comes back."_

_"If she comes back, you'll be losing your place in the top tier," the man said._

_Once he showed that he was serious about it, Roxas was permitted to fight in place of Igni. Several minutes passed, and it was deemed that Igni had withdrawn from the tournament. That meant that the Struggle tournament was coming to a close with this next fight._

_Roxas let out a breath and took the bat from the referee, and so did Vivi. He didn't feel good about facing someone so small, but he recalled the beating Seifer received and used it as motivation to fight on. "Keep it clean, fellas."_

_"And now, the match you've been waiting for: Roxas vs. Vivi!"_

* * *

Igni stood in the middle of the alley. The afternoon sun was hitting her back as she remained in one place as if frozen in time. She blinked only once to keep her golden eyes from getting dry. For the rest of the time, the young teenager was standing silent. No movement. No breath. Just... silent and motionless.

The man in the black cloak was only a few meters away, his arms folded across his chest. His face remained in obscurity, so she could not figure out who he was. Not that she had any idea in the first place. This was the first time she could think of that involved them meeting face to face like this. The last time was when he tripped Roxas at the station plaza. She was positive that it was the same man from back then. Even then, they were just strangers who had little interaction.

"Kara." His voice was deep as he called out to someone, but Igni tilted her head to the side in confusion. The name was familiar, but was he calling her by it?

"That's... not my name," she responded hesitantly, shaking her head. "My name is Igni."

Falling silent, the cloaked man shook his hooded head and pointed an accusing finger at her. A black mist flowed from his other hand, forming into a purple and red sword. Gasping softly, Igni flinched and took a step back. She tensed up and put on a defensive stance. There was nothing to protect herself with but a simple Struggle bat. Although, she got a good look at her poor choice in weaponry and realized where she was supposed to be right then. _Roxas, guys... I'm so sorry._

"Huh?" Igni blinked a couple of times, noticing that the man disappeared. He was gone, along with half of her bat.

She dropped the remaining half to the ground and gulped. "What?"

"Deny it all you want, but the truth will always be there," the man stated in a strong tone, planting his gloved hand firmly on her shoulder. "Roxas has been showing it to you, hasn't he? So, why? Why do you not see it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she shook her head and tried to pull away, but his grip on her shoulder was too strong to escape. In the middle of the alley, where no one would find them, Igni was held against her will by this unknown man. "I... I don't even know who you are talking about!"

Whatever she said had angered him. His fingers were digging into her muscle with a painful sharpness. If any more pressure were to be applied, she was sure that it'd break some bone. It never did go that far, though. He lightened up before such a thing could happen. Igni took it as her only opportunity to get to a safer position. She dashed forward and skidded around to face him, the Keyblade flashing into her hands in response to the danger that she felt was there.

"I am not your enemy." The words fell short of their target when a great wave of unease interrupted the moment. A current distorted their surroundings. Igni gasped and spotted a bird flying above their heads, but it wasn't moving. The poor little creature was frozen in time. Baffling them both, Igni and he who deemed himself to be no danger to her gazed around at the disrupted space. "You see?"

"See what?" Igni scoffed, only for teams of hostile creatures appearing in the same alley they stood in. There were a ton of them coming up from behind, prompting her to whirl around and stave off the bunch with a swipe from her Keyblade. "Ah!"

"Nobodies!" he exclaimed, cutting down a whole group of them in one swing. Peering over his shoulder at the girl, the man with his face hidden offered a single phrase. "We fight together."

* * *

_Roxas was panting by the time the last enemy was defeated. The beings in the silver jumpsuits appeared once again, and they came straight for him while the people and his friends in the audience stood frozen in time. Again, the Keyblade appeared to him, allowing for a swift victory over the mysterious enemies. _

_He shook his head and straightened his composure once there were no more to be seen or fought. It was a tough battle by himself, for they were stronger than the last ones he faced. Not that he would let his guard down despite the victory. Roxas had a feeling deep down that there was still more to it than just that. If it was nothing, then surely everyone would return to normal._

_The something more he was expecting did turn up. He was startled when a man in black started clapping. Like a thief in the night, this person appeared from out of nowhere. _

_"Roxas. Alright. Fight, fight, fight." __Someone who knew him? It seemed unlikely. Roxas knew everyone in Twilight Town, but this one was unfamiliar. He was casual in his approach. The way he dressed reminded the boy of the one man who whispered strange words into his ear, but the stature was completely off. This fellow was much leaner and more lighthearted in personality, it seemed. _

_"You really don't remember, do you?" the man asked, stopping in his tracks in the middle of the ringless arena. He popped up with his arms spread, then he dropped the hood to show his face. "It's me. You know... Axel."_

_"Axel?" Roxas repeated the name, no bells ringing. _

_"Talk about blank with a capital 'B'. Man, oh man... even the Dusks aren't gonna crack this one," Axel rolled his eyes. Two fiery chakrams appeared in his hands upon command. His emerald green eyes briefly scanned the sandlot for someone else, but he tsked in disapproval when he didn't find the one he was looking for. "So, the other kiddo is nowhere to be seen. A little fishy if you ask me. Well, they'll lure her out one way or another."_

_"Wait a sec, tell me what's going on!" Roxas shouted, taking a defensive position._

_Axel raised a brow and admired the view of Twilight Town for a second time. "This town is his creation, right? Which means we don't have time for a Q & A. You're coming with me, conscious or not. Then you'll hear the story."_

* * *

Igni got down on one knee to catch her breath as the last of the Nobodies was dismissed. Several waves had come and gone, but none of them were able to obtain victory over the Keyblade Wielder and the mystery man. He was hardly exhausted after the endeavor, something she took notice to during the fight.

"Tsk, it never ends," he complained, letting the sword he wielded disappear. The man turned to face Igni again and gave her a hand up. Or, what it really turned out to be, he took her by the arm and lifted her to her feet. She was given no say in refusing his help. "I hope that was proof enough."

"Proof..." she glared, rubbing the sore spot on her arm. "So? Was that supposed to make me believe that you've got the right person? I don't know if I can believe a thief."

"You still hold on to that," the man sighed. "Then I will give you a little more time. After all, your role is not yet complete."

"My role?" Igni asked.

"Do not falter, Kara," he told her, ignoring the question. "I am leaving it all in your hands from here on out."


	10. What is Happening?

_A young girl with shoulder-length, auburn hair strolled by herself along a dirt path. Her plaid skirt swayed with each step as she made her way up the hill to the intended destination. It was evening time, but she was determined to go there for a little visit. A lot was on her mind, but the peace of the quiet helped her relax a little bit. _

_"Kairi! Wait up!" _

_Pausing in her steps, the girl turned around to see a lively brunette rushing along to catch up. The quiet time had ended when she came running, but it was not a bother. Kairi was always happy to see her friends, especially when they seemed eager to chat. Selphie was a real talker from time to time, as she usually was. _

_"Come on, let's go together!" Selphie suggested, joining Kairi on her walk to the beach. Now that school was over for the day, she was determined to get in some time to hang out with someone. Thinking fast, a swell idea popped into Selphie's mind as they walked together. "Hey, do you feel like going out to the island? Tidus and Wakka are all tied up in their ball game and won't go with me."_

_"Not today, sorry..." Kairi frowned. She walked ahead of her friend and stopped at the top of the hill, something particular on her mind._

_"Aw, why not?" Selphie whined._

_"Do you remember those boys and that girl who used to hang out with us?" Kairi asked her. _

_"Riku?" Selphie thought out loud, and then another name came up. "Uh... and Kara, too?"_

_"Yeah." _

_"I wonder whatever happened to them. I sure miss those two," she said. Kairi was curious, although not exactly vocal about every thought running through her brain. _

_"They're far away," Kairi explained vaguely. "But I know we'll see them again."_

_Naturally, her friend was all for agreeing. They had a great big sea separating them, but destiny worked in mysterious ways. That was how she saw it. As soon as summer vacation came around, she was sure that Riku and Kara would show up sooner or later. Chances were that their families moved out of the village. The two were likely put in a new school, and it didn't allow them much time to visit. Selphie was sure that that was the case._

_"And the other boy?" Kairi asked, gazing out at the setting sun. However, Selphie was stumped. She did not recall there being another boy on the islands with them. _

_"What other boy?" she asked in return. _

_"The one who was with Riku, Kara, and me all the time- we played together on that island," Kairi told Selphie, and she looked up to the darkening sky. Her lavender eyes peered out at the sparkling sea connecting the neighboring islands. "His voice always used to be there... but now it's gone. I can't think of his face, or his name. I feel awful about it. So I told myself- I'm not going to the island until I remember everything about him."_

_"Are you sure you didn't make it all up?" Selphie wondered, and Kairi gave a nod of certainty._

**_"Namine?"_**

_Suddenly and without warning, Kairi groaned softly and rubbed her forehead as a strong headache disturbed her careful thoughts. Someone was speaking to her from elsewhere. She could see a fuzzy image of them- a boy falling from a high point. He sounded sad and confused. _

**_"Namine...? What's happening to me?"_**

_'Who are you? And that's not my name...' She spoke back to the boy in her head, hoping that he would hear her. 'I'm Kairi.'_

**_"Kairi... I know you. You're that girl he likes."_**

_'Who? Please, a name!'_

**_"I'm Roxas."_**

_'Okay, Roxas, but can you tell me HIS name?'_

**_"You don't remember my name? Thanks a lot, Kairi!"_**

_'Huh?'_

**_"O~kay... I guess I can give you a hint. Starts with an 'S'!"_**

_Kairi's eyes fluttered open as the darkness settled in. Her consciousness had returned, but she was left without an explanation as to why she was lying on the ground. Slowly coming to, she sat up with Selphie's support and regained her lost composure. Her friend dusted off her back and searched her for any injuries, but it looked like she was fine. _

_"Are you okay?" Selphie asked to make sure. It was a scary thing to see, but Kairi gave her a nod and got back to her feet a moment later. _

_She looked out at the horizon, seeing the island where they used to play. It was just beyond the village, a simple boat ride away. Smiling at Selphie, Kairi gave a nod and jogged down the path to the beach. She held her bag tight as to not lose it as she ran along, her friend close behind. Selphie got there in time to see Kairi standing in the shallow water on the shore. Much confusion bubbled inside her head. Was her friend really going to be fine? Maybe she hit her head, was what she thought._

_"Kairi...?"_

_A strong breeze blew her hair, arousing Kairi out of her thoughts for a moment. Pulling an empty bottle out of her bag, the young teen knelt down and slid a note into it before setting the bottle in the water. It drifted away with the waves, heading for an unknown destination._

_"What's that?" Selphie asked, kneeling down, too._

_"A letter... I wrote it yesterday," Kairi answered. "To the boy I can't remember. I said that, no matter where he is... I'll find him. One day. And when I stopped writing, I remembered we made a promise, something important. This letter is where it starts. I know it."_

_"Wow... I hope he gets it," Selphie smiled. "That's so romantic!"_

_"He will." Romance aside, Kairi was more certain that her nameless friend would receive the letter. "Starts with an 'S'. Right, **Sora**?"_

* * *

_"His progress is astounding." Leaning back in his chair, DiZ smirked at the data showing on the monitors. "I am impressed."_

_"So, what happened?" the man in black asked, tossing a blue orb up and down. He slipped it into the orange pouch he snatched from Roxas. The orb was a new reward for an intervention. He was able to make a grab after the boy fell from the clock tower over the station plaza. Supposedly, it was part of a trophy, but not anymore. He would probably miss it at some point, but a lot of things disappeared in that town._

_"Namine's encounter with Roxas put his heart in contact with Kairi's," DiZ explained. "And that, in turn, affected Sora. You see, boy?"_

_"Namine..." the man mumbled. "She's a wonder."_

_"She wasn't born like other Nobodies. She can interfere with the hearts and memories of Sora and those aligned with him." DiZ hummed to himself and checked the valuable data of another subject. _

_"But whose Nobody is she?" DiZ's companion asked, folding his arms. "Could it be Kara?"_

_"I could tell you..." he answered. "But first, perhaps you could tell me your true name?"_

_Without hesitation, the man removed the hood hiding his face. His dark skin and amber eyes gave DiZ a mild surprise. "It's Ansem."_

_The claim of identity brought DiZ to a fit of laughter. Smiling and chuckling, he wiped a fake tear and nodded. "It's an honor, Ansem!"_

* * *

_In a circular room colored pure white, thirteen thrones overlooked the chamber. The Nobody sigil was emblazoned on the round platform in the middle of them all. Several men dressed in black cloaks sat in some of these thrones, which were not at an equal level._

_"No way!" one of them, Axel, shouted at the others. "It's too soon! You can't seriously get rid of him..."_

_"It's an order," answered another. "Why do you hesitate? You, who has been ruthless towards those who turned their backs on the Organization."_

_"But it's not like that!" Axel argued. "He didn't betray us. He CAN'T come back! That little weasel tricked him."_

_"If he doesn't return, you know what you must do," the bulky figure said coldly, folding his arms across his broad chest. A single lance appeared at his side, hovering in the air. It penetrated Axel's throne, though the red-haired man was unfazed in spite of some hair getting trimmed. "Or you will face the consequences..."_

_"Enough, Xaldin," the cloaked man sitting at the highest throne raised an arm to silence the bickering two. At his insistence, Xaldin dismissed his lance and calmed himself. Raising his other hand to Axel, the man let sparks of energy ball up in his palm. "And you... You will comply or else."_

_"So, you'll turn me into a Dusk..." Axel narrowed his eyes, acknowledging the threat made. "Alright. I'll do it! If that's what you want."_

* * *

Darkness fell upon Twilight Town finally, but not everyone was quick to retreat to their homes. There was still one still wandering the streets. The single figure trespassed through the tunnel leading into the woods, occasionally checking around for any potential enemies.

A girl with white hair and golden eyes. She only went to a certain point- the same place where she woke up to find herself in someplace new. That was the only place she wanted to be at that moment. No one would be looking for her during the late hour, so she had no need to worry. She sat down and leaned her back against the rough bark of the tree. Her knees were pulled close to her chest as she remained there for some time.

"Deny it all I want, but the truth will always be there." The words were surprisingly deep, but she was having a hard time finding an understanding. Looking down at her hands, the girl sighed and shook her head. "My role..."

That man was adamant in convincing her to believe his words, and she chose to not believe him. The thought was that he was a shady person who was threatening her friend- Roxas. There was something between the two of them that she detected at some point, and it was serious. But, there was something else. She failed to consider it before.

He claimed to not be an enemy and even fought by her side to fight those enemies, the ones he called Nobodies. Would a bad guy fight to protect her? It wouldn't make sense if that was the case. So, maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe she really was denying it and fighting back for a no good reason.

The girl closed her eyes and tilted her head back as a gentle breeze tickled her skin. A single tear rolled down her left cheek.

_"Igni, where are you?" _

A voice in the distance called out to her, but the girl sitting alone shook her head. She gritted her teeth and clamped her eyes shut. The voice called out again, reminding her of Roxas. He was likely back at home, or maybe he realized that she was gone and missing from town. It'd make sense since she never returned to the tournament, which she was supposed to fight in. Maybe he was angry with her because of how sudden she disappeared. _  
_

But, what the others thought about her made no difference. They were disappointed in someone by the name of Igni. That was the girl who ghosted the tournament- not her! Opening her eyes, the lone youth admired the night sky through a clear spot in the trees.

_"Igni!"_

"No." The girl's tone was sharp and denied the voice. Her golden eyes burned in the night as she clenched her fingers. The fabric of her pants wrinkled due to being locked in her grip. More tears fell as she pushed the unseen speaker away. "That isn't who I am."


	11. Twilight Town's Seven Wonders

_Early morning again, and Roxas was jolting awake for another time. He panted and wiped the sweat from his brow. Once he was finally calm, the teenage boy leaned forward and let out a sigh. "I'm dreaming. But which parts... were the dream?"_

_He didn't want to take too long putting any thought into it. Now that he found himself back in his home, Roxas threw himself together and rushed out the door. However, he paused in front of the spare bedroom. The door to it was slightly cracked. Everything inside was neatly put away and the bed untouched. A look of sadness appeared on Roxas's face. More than anything, great worry bubbled in the pit of his stomach. _

_"Igni never came home..." he observed. "I wonder if the others saw her anywhere."_

_The usual spot was lively today with Hayner, Pence, and Olette joining together in a fun conversation. Roxas plopped down in the old and worn out recliner while the other three talked and talked. He didn't feel too up to conversing due to there being much on his mind. That was until Olette saw him in his pitiful state and approached him. She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. All three of them, when he scanned their expressions, looked pretty upset with him._

_"Only three days left of summer vacation, so don't even mention that assignment," Hayner pointed out, pointing at Roxas. So it was an entirely different matter than what he was expecting. "Don't wanna hear it! Nope!"_

_"But we agreed we'd get it finished today..." Olette said, clearly annoyed at the boys. No, this was not what things were supposed to be about right now, Roxas thought. Something happened, and they were not addressing it like he hoped. So, if they weren't going to do it, then he had no choice but to do so himself._

_"Yesterday..." Roxas started. "I fell off the station tower, didn't I?"_

_"You wouldn't be here if you did!" Hayner scoffed. _

_"But man, that was a close one..." Pence said, shaking his head. _

_"And what happened to Igni?" Roxas asked, a hint of eagerness in his voice. "She hasn't shown up today."_

_"Igni?" Pence asked for clarification, but an irritated girl cut in front of him._

_"Stop changing the subject!" Olette broke in, ending the conversation right then and there. "We have an assignment to do!"_

_"Okay, already!" Hayner whined at her. "You win. We'll do the homework. Stupid independent study. So, anybody got any bright ideas for the subject?"_

_Roxas sighed and stood up from his chair. The answers he was hoping for remained a mystery to him. But, this independent study assignment might be what he was needing to figure it all out. Perhaps he would be able to find out what happened to his friend. _

_"Maybe we could study the stuff that's happening to me," Roxas suggested. You know, the dreams, and the guys in white... Igni."_

_"Forget it," Hayner blurted. _

_"Why?!" Roxas blurted back._

_"You know, things have been weird with you and the town since the photos were stolen and that girl showed up," Hayner continued. _

_"Well, tomorrow we're all gonna search the town and find out what's been going on," Pence declared. _

_"Lots of people are helping out," Olette told Roxas._

_"All that for me?" Roxas asked, and his best friends nodded. "Hey, I'll go get some ice cream."_

_It was an errand they all were looking forward to seeing finished. Roxas hurried through town with the munny to buy a box of Sea-Salt ice cream. When he got back, they all grabbed two bars for themselves and enjoyed the treat._

_"There's this strange rumor going around, you know. Wanna hear it?" Pence said in between licks. Everyone was too occupied with the ice cream to mutter an answer, but they nodded their heads. Pence continued after a few good licks of the salty and sweet ice cream. "You know the stone steps at the Sunset Station? We use 'em all the time, without even thinking about it. But- and this is the weird part- the steps count different going up and down!" _

_"Seriously?!" Hayner nearly dropped his ice cream bar. _

_"And there are six other weird stories like that," Pence claimed. "It's like... the seven wonders of Twilight Town."_

_"We should investigate those for our school project!" Hayner exclaimed. "Pence, you're a genius!"_

_"Hey, there might be other rumors going around, too," Pence thought out loud. "Let's split up! I'm gonna look for the seven wonders..."_

_"Olette and I will go find some new rumors!" Hayner took charge. "C'mon!"_

_"That leaves you and me, Roxas," Pence told the other boy, who was still silent about what all was going on. "Let's head to the train station!"_

_They made their way to the station in haste to get a ride to the Sunset Terrace. The group had divided up to cover more ground regarding the rumors. But, half of them had a hard time even finding one rumor to work with. Roxas and Pence stood in front of the train to the other side of town where the seven wonders originated._

_"The time has come!" Pence said dramatically. "Our hunt for the seven wonders begins!"_

_Shortly after, the other two joined them at the station before they boarded the train. There was nothing to report about the new rumors, but that didn't mean that they were giving up. They chose to go to Sunset Terrace as well, as to not lose this apparent competition._

_The four friends sat aboard the train. And, as it sped down the tracks, three of them pulled out small orbs of different colors. They had been given to them by Roxas when he won the Struggle tournament yesterday. But, when Roxas dug into his pocket to pull his out, he found that the blue orb was missing. He panicked when it wasn't in any of his pockets. Instead of joining in, he frowned and sat back down until they arrived at their destination._

_Their mission to find the seven wonders had begun. While they ran down to investigate, another figure stepped out of the train._

* * *

Spooky steps counting differently, a friend from beyond a brick wall who wanted to play, creeping moans from the unfinished tunnel, the doppelganger at the fountain, and the animated bag sitting atop the hill. These were the rumors that were supposedly true and very mysterious. The pair of eyes studying the crumpled paper acknowledged the unusual descriptions of each wonder.

"Roxas..." Frowning deeply, Igni closed her eyes and followed the trail he was taking. The first one that struck her interest was the mystery about the brick wall. She got there in time to see Pence and Roxas walking out of an alley where there was nothing but a dead end. When they left, a ball flew out of the alley, prompting her to investigate. "What is this?"

There was no one else standing in the alley, she observed. Walking over to the back wall, Igni traced her fingers along the grooves around the red bricks. Nothing to see but a plain wall, until a silver streak shot out from a portal that opened right next to her. Igni gasped and pressed her back against the wall when one of the monsters in silver cornered her. But, she bit back her fear and summoned the Keyblade to fight it off.

"You're... one of those Nobodies." Her voice was hushed as she studied the flexible enemy, remembering what that man called them. It was defeated by her in a matter of minutes. And, as Igni stood in the middle of the alley with her Keyblade shining in the afternoon sunlight, she looked around as if searching for someone. She left for the next wonder as soon as she determined there was no one else around there.

There were voices coming from the tunnel she had read about. It sounded like Roxas and Pence again. Finding the dark tunnel suspicious, Igni stepped inside to wander through the concourse. She was surprised to see someone standing in the middle of the path. It was that boy in the pointy hat- Vivi- or so she thought.

The boy she thought to be Vivi glitched like a computer program and transformed into one of the Nobodies she had just fought. It was coming right for her, so she fought it like the other. Igni retreated to another part of the tunnel, a clearing opposite to the one where Roxas and their friend was. Just as she expected, the Nobody followed her the whole time and tried to attack. Ducking the swiping claws, Igni gave a few good strikes with the Keyblade and defeated the enemy before it could cause anymore harm.

"Roxas?" she said the boy's name when she saw him walking down the nearby path with Pence. They were talking and laughing. Well, one of them was laughing. Roxas didn't seem all that happy this time. Frowning like he was, Igni sighed and considered running after them. _Would... Would he be mad at me? Maybe I'll keep a distance for now, at least until all of those Nobodies are gone._

A distance, she did keep. Most of the morning and afternoon were spent observing Roxas as he investigated the wonders of the world. Igni watched him fight with a corrupted reflection of himself at a fountain. The dark form he brawled against was made entirely of darkness, something wreaking with evil. But, he did well to stave it off and come out the victor. Roxas collapsed at the end of the mostly unseen fight, worrying Ignis as she watched from atop a building. Everything turned out fine when Pence went to check on him.

"Are these _wonders_ for real?" Ignis wondered out loud, watching as the two walked away for the next part of the hunt. Her eyes flickered back to the decorative fountain. It was highly suspicious. _Or is there something else pulling strings? Maybe... someone else._

Ignis checked the map in her hands for the next wonder, which led to the top of the hill overlooking a beautiful sunset. That was where Roxas was headed, conveniently. She made sure to keep herself hidden behind the bushes while he took a peek around the clearing up there. This _wonder_ was a peculiar one. There was a full looking sack sitting around, and it moved every once in a while. Obviously, something was inside.

It was amusing to watch, Ignis thought. Roxas tackled the sack and rode it around in circles until it gave in under his weight. Yet, it turned out to be nothing more than a mere dog. _That's actually pretty harmless_, she determined as the dog ran away to its owner. However, it might have been a wise idea to keep an eye on the _creature_ for just a moment longer...

"You know... that last wonder wasn't exactly wonderful," Roxas mumbled to Pence as they made their way back into town.

"I understand, say no more!" Pence nodded vigorously. "But, we're not giving up just yet. This next wonder is gonna be really great! Wonder number Six!"

"We got another lead!" Hayner came running into the group with Olette close behind him.

"The _Ghost Train Mystery_..." Olette informed them.

Pence was picking at his ear and let out a yawn, "Everyone knows about Wonder number Six."

"Yeah, well, I didn't..." Hayner crossed his arms. "Geez."

Ears tuned into the conversation picked up on the next big mystery. A mysterious train that traveled the tracks of Twilight Town at the rarest of hours. Out of all the mysteries, it was perhaps one of the most peculiar and unsolvable. Was it for real, was the real question? The group was followed back to the Sunset Hill, where they chose to wait until the ghost train arrived. Igni remained at a safe distance to pay close attention to what was going on.

Sitting behind some pushes was a bore. The small version of Twilight Town's tower served as a better spot to hide out. _Hide out..._ Igni scoffed at herself. It was like she was playing the role of some kind of spy. Not the best thing to do, especially when it involves friends. Letting out a sigh of frustration, the girl leaned her side against the stone monument and admired the view. There was a lot to see beyond the town. The tracks seemed to go on for miles and miles. She could see them only until the trees obscured the view of them.

"If the rumors are true, it'll be here any minute..." Hayner told everyone present. "Guess we're gonna have to keep a close eye out."

"For they say the train is empty. No driver, no conductor, no passengers..." Pence kept his voice low, barely above a whisper. "NO RETURN."

Compared to the other wonders, this one sounded very convincing. The only time it got to be boring was when the gang sat around for nearly two hours in wait for the supposedly abandoned train. In the moment, with there being nothing to do, they wished for a trip to the beach the following summer. Perhaps it was just wishful thinking. But there was always a chance for anything, even a surprising new friendship... with Seifer. The older boy chose a random time to drop in for a visit, suggesting they be friends. He left after giving them a sign of their _bond_, promising to join in tomorrow.

"Look!" Roxas rushed over to the wooden fence and peered down at the single line of tracks. Only his eyes caught sight of the incoming train. A purple engine with a magical appearance. It passed under the tunnel and went on its way to the station. Igni's eyes followed it until it followed the bend out of the Sunset Terrace. "It's really true... There's really no one aboard! What's the catch? There's gotta be a catch, right?"

"Um..." Hayner, Pence, and Olette traded looks.

"Then it's real?!" Roxas gasped. "Let's go to the station!"

There was no keeping up with Roxas when he made a dash for the terrace's station. His eyes were full of shock and awe when he arrived there to see the ghost train with his own two eyes. The other three were out of breath and seemed a little worried. At the suggestion to go inside the train, they stopped Roxas right there, for he would get hurt if he fell onto the tracks.

Ignis peered around the corner and watched as the beautiful train silently dissolved into particles of light. It was gone by the time Roxas turned back around after being interrupted by Hayner. Just like magic. "Huh?"

_**"The train will be arriving shortly."**_

Their ears perked at the sound of the announcement, and the _real_ train slowed to a stop right there in front of them. Passengers, including Seifer's gang, made their way out. The conductor was inside minding his work. It was not abandoned whatsoever.

"A train came from the beach," Roxas said in a hushed voice. Turning to the others, he furrowed his brows and gritted his teeth. "There was no driver, right?"

"Let's go..." Hayner urged him onto the train.

"Right?!" Roxas ignored him, demanding a proper answer. He only became silent when he was shoved on board. The ride back to Twilight Town was without any discussion of the seven wonders. In spite of them not believing a single word he said nor having any input, there was one who had the nerve to agree. She sat away from the group, closely watching Roxas. Her gaze was piercing and concerned for his state.

The others were headed for home after making it back. Bogus rumors put an end to their fun, so they wanted to put it all on paper for the upcoming assignment. It sounded okay for a plan, but Roxas stopped and thought for a moment. "But what about the last one- the seventh wonder?"

"Who cares?" Hayner stomped his foot.

"I do," Roxas said with faint irritation in his tone. "C'mon, Pence."

"It's at that haunted mansion," Pence said, but he chose to leave with the others instead of helping Roxas with the last wonder.

The whole gang, save for Roxas, was gone when Igni walked out of the station. Her footsteps down the stairs were quiet, but Roxas detected someone there when the doors slammed shut because of a random gust of wind. She was holding her hair down when it blew in. Although annoyed by the forces of nature, Igni gasped when she saw Roxas staring right at her.

"I... I... I..." he stuttered, failing to get a single word out. Roxas could hardly speak when she slipped around him and ran away. "Igni?! Wait up!"

* * *

The lone mansion beyond the woods. In the evening, it gave off a particular feel that gave Roxas the chills as he admired it from outside the closed off gates. It was the same feeling he got when he first visited the haunted building, except there were no thieves attacking him this time. He could have sworn that he saw Igni run through to the mansion, however. There was no way her trail could just end.

Roxas narrowed his eyes and scanned the exterior of the mansion for whatever it might have been hiding, but he was too engrossed in seeking out someone not wanting to be found that he failed to notice Pence sneak up right behind him. He jumped at the sound of his friend's voice. "You know something... We were gonna check the mansion out tomorrow. It IS the most suspicious place."

"Right..." Roxas nodded slowly. He breathed out and looked up at the white curtains of one of the mansion rooms- on the second floor.

"Even Seifer's gang was gonna help," Pence revealed, shocking Roxas even more. "Hayner asked him to."

_"..."_

"So... what're we looking for?" Roxas asked, seemingly forgetting why he had come to the mansion in the first place.

"Well, they say there's a girl who appears at the second floor window... even though no one's lived here for years..." Pence said to Roxas in explanation. "Rumor has it that this haunted mansion is connected to the eighth wonder!"

"Really?" Roxas blinked slowly, gazing up at the mentioned window. "What's that supposed to be?"

"The mysterious girl who suddenly appeared in the woods."

* * *

_Roxas looked around the plain white room, his eyes studying the colorful drawings pinned to the walls. Drawn out sketches were scattered all over. Each of them had a story to go with them, understandably. He walked around to see each of them closely. Some brought a sweet smile to his face. Others made him feel nostalgic or... sad._

_"Roxas..." Namine called out to the boy in a gentle voice._

_"Namine?!" he responded, jolting around from looking at a sketch of Kairi. There was no one to see. It was just another voice in his head, he supposed. Roxas turned back to look at a new sketch. There were four people on it, all in black cloaks. One had spiky red hair, the other was blonde. "This is... me? And Axel's here too."_

_"You ARE best friends..." Namine pointed out._

_"Very funny," Roxas rolled his eyes. _

_"Don't you want to know the truth about who you really are?" she asked him._

_"No one knows me better than me," Roxas said, never looking away from the sketch._

_"Of course..."_

_"But... I don't get what's been happening lately," Roxas admitted, turning away to see some of the other pictures on the walls. He walked across the room until reaching one of another set of four people. It struck his interest greatly._

_Namine smiled to herself, "You know these four, don't you?"_

_"Yeah," Roxas nodded. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, and... Kar__a. They're from the dreams."_

_"About a year ago... some things happened, and I had to take apart the memories chained together in Sora's heart," Namine spoke softly, almost as if she were trying to hide the guilt. "But now... I'm putting them all back exactly the way they were. It's taken me a long time, but pretty soon Sora will be his old self again. **She** is making sure of it. The process has been affecting you, too, Roxas."_

_"You mean... the dreams?" he breathed. _

_"Yes..."_

_"You three are connected..." Namine continued. "And... in order for Sora to become completely whole again... He needs you."_

_"Me? What for?" Roxas proceeded to the next one of him and Sora holding hands. _

_"You hold half of what he is," she said. "He needs you, Roxas."_

_"Namine?" Roxas paused, sitting down at the other end of the white table. There she was, the girl in the white dress, opposite of him. "Namine... who are you?"_

_"I'm a witch with power over Sora's memories and those around him," she explained herself. The sketchbook she was drawing in was gently placed down on the table's surface. It was largely unfinished, but there was enough on there to get the main idea down. Castle Oblivion. _

_"A witch?" he tilted his head to the side, leaning forward with interest. _

_"That's what DiZ called me," Namine said, referring to the man in charge of the operation. "But I don't know why I have this power... I just do. I'm not even sure there's a right way for me to use it."_

_"Hmm... I can't help you there," Roxas shook his head. _

_"It's okay," she smiled. "Kara's been doing a lot to help."_

_"Huh..." Roxas sat back and looked around from his seat. "It's funny... Suddenly I feel like I don't know myself at all... I guess I would like to know. What do you know about me... that I don't?"_

_"You..." Namine dropped her eyes and gripped the fabric of her dress. "You were never supposed to exist, Roxas."_

_"What...?" His eyes widened in response to her answer. "How could you even say such a thing even if it were true?"_

_"I'm sorry..." she said softly. "I guess some things... really are better left unsaid."_

_"Yeah..." he glared at the wall. Roxas let out a hot breath and studied a sketch of Sora and Kara. "What about her? Where does she fit into this?"_

_"Kara?" Namine looked up at him. "She's been..."_

* * *

"Roxas? Roxas!" Pence shook Roxas out of his trance, worried that something had once again come over him. He was relieved when he snapped out of it. Clearly, he was focused on something from within the mansion. "Did you see her?"

"Yeah..." Roxas nodded, and he pointed at the window where he knew where he saw the girl in the white room. "Watch the window- closely."

Unfortunately, there was no one there to see. Not even Roxas could see her anymore. She was gone. Out of sight. Excusing it as being nothing but a draft inside, Pence suggested they return home for the night. Before home, it was off to the usual spot for a report on their findings. And from there, they hurried along to the station for some time together before the sun set.

With only two more days left of vacation, they were determined to enjoy the remaining time they had together. Everyone had their fair share, but Roxas was not in the mood to enjoy it with them. As the bells rang, he thought back to what he experienced at the mansion. The things he knew he heard were weighing heavily on his shoulders.

* * *

_"Why'd you show him the train?" DiZ sat comfortably in his seat in the dining room of the old mansion, where Ansem met him for their usual meetings. Ansem was questioning the latest turn of events in the Twilight Town where Roxas was staying. _

_"Because he missed the trip to the beach," the man in the chair explained, clasping one hand over the other. _

_"Hmph... that's almost kind of you," Ansem scoffed._

_"Now... what about you?" DiZ smirked, gesturing to the hooded man. "Are the holes in your memory starting to fill in?"_

_"Yes... the haze is clearing," he replied._

_"The same thing is happening to everyone who had ties to Sora. Very soon, to them, he'll be like a good friend who's gone away for a year," DiZ nodded his head promptly and accepted the small bit of information. "Your friend is doing well to harness those same memories that Roxas is."_

_Ansem stepped over to the chair on the other side of the destroyed table. He impatiently tapped his fingers on the armrest and eyed DiZ. "I've waited, and now I want to know. What is it that you want?"_

_"Revenge."_

_"Revenge..." Ansem repeated, tightly gripping the leather material under his hands. _

_"Now for the finishing touches..." DiZ narrowed his one visible eye. "First, we must dispose of Namine. She did a splendid job with Sora, but it's high time she disappeared. Roxas isn't the only one who was never meant to exist. Take care of it, Ansem."_

_"And Kara?" Before he got up to leave, Ansem inquired of just one more thing. He was eager to know about her after days of going without her company._

_"Once her memories have fully returned within the simulation, there is nothing for us to do but wait," DiZ explained. "She will come back to you."_


	12. Run to the Truth

_Four figures stood before a desolate dimension inhabited by nothing but darkness. They were scuffed up after climbing out of the wreckage of a rocket ship. Minor injuries, but the group was trapped in this dark wasteland. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Kara. Yet, all of them appeared fearless in spite of there being no one to save them from their dilemma. For the fate of the worlds and their friends, they were risking everything._

_"Gwarsh, is that all that's left of the worlds taken by the Heartless?" Goofy stood beside his pals, scanning the Heartless world for any immediate dangers._

_"Those worlds will be restored if we beat Ansem, right?" Sora, standing at the head of the party, gazed out into the daunting scenery. He frowned and searched for a pathway, but all he saw was the empty void. "But, if we do beat Ansem and all these worlds become restored and disconnected... What's gonna happen to this place? And to us?"_

_The image flashed to them falling into a swirling vortex of darkness. Inside that whirlwind was the mighty foe, Chernabog. Sora, Kara, and their friends bravely fought the monstrous villain with all their heart. It was a challenge they won together._

_"All worlds begin in darkness... and all so end." Dark Riku turned to Sora and Kara, transforming into the mastermind behind the Heartless attacks- Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness. Seeing their friend fade away before their very eyes caused Sora to become distraught. It was he who faced the two Keyblade Wielders alone to destroy the light and plunge all worlds into darkness. "The heart is no different. You see, darkness is the heart's true essence."_

_The battle against Ansem soon turned to the point where Sora faced the World of Chaos by his lonesome, braving the darkness in a bid to save his friends from Ansem's clutches. He held his Keyblade with remarkable courage and faced the final enemy. "That's not true! The heart may be weak. And, sometimes, it may even give in. But I've learned that deep down, there's a light that never goes out!"_

_"Kingdom Hearts!" the defeated seeker of darkness reached for the door to Kingdom Hearts, hoping to be empowered by it. "Fill me with the power of darkness!"_

_"You're wrong, Ansem," Sora shook his head, inching closer to Ansem and the door. "I know now, without a doubt. Kingdom Hearts... is light!"_

_Ansem's loss was something to celebrate, but Sora fell into a mood of sorrow when his best friend and great support throughout the journey collapsed to the ground. Her body was fading and so were her friends' smiles. "You're fading!"_

_"Don't worry..." Kara smiled weakly at Sora, paying no mind to the fact that she was about to disappear from them. Despite the pain of fighting for her life against the darkness, the Keyblade master held strength and will in her eyes. "We'll meet up again. I'll find my way back... through the darkness... __One door. Two keys. I'll be on the other side..."_

_"Now, Sora! Let's close this door for good!" The king appeared in the midst of darkness running rampant. He slayed several Heartless threatening to overpower Sora, Donald, and Goofy as they tried to close the door to Kingdom Hearts. In his hand was a Keyblade, golden in color and radiant with light. Using the strength that they were permitted, Sora and the others closed them with the aid of the king and Riku._

_It was Riku and the big-eared ruler who were locked in on the other side. Riku smiled at Sora and nodded his head. Sora and King Mickey used the two Keyblades to seal the door, putting an end to their troubles. "Take care of her."_

_"Kairi!" Sora called out to his friend, who appeared to him as a brilliant light grew from where the door was closed. He grinned, almost crying, as he ran over to her._

_"Sora!" Kairi gasped, hurrying over to him. However, a rupture in the ground kept them separate. The worlds were being returned, and she was going back to the islands. As for Sora..._

_"Kairi, remember what you said before?" Sora quickly asked. "I'm always with you, too. I'll come back to you. I promise!"_

_"I know you will!" she replied, trying to hold onto his hand for a moment longer. Yet, the bond they shared was not enough to keep them from being divided physically. _

_"Well, now what do we do?" Donald asked, walking with Sora and Goofy down a lonely road in the middle of a prairie. They were in better spirits in this mysterious new world. Although, they were unsure of where to go from there after losing the gummi ship. _

_"We've gotta find Riku, Kara, and King Mickey," Sora said, resting his arms behind his head. As he walked, he gazed around at the beautiful terrain as if there was nothing wrong. The goal was clear to him, and he was going to find a way to accomplish what they were setting out to do._

_"But, uh, where do we start lookin' for that there door to the light?" Goofy asked. They questioned the matter until a yellow dog crossed their path, and it had a letter in its mouth. "Gwarsh, that's the king's seal!"_

_"Have you seen King Mickey?" Sora led the way, giving chase to Pluto the dog as he ran away. Eventually, the boy found himself lost and alone in the night. A mysterious figure stood in the middle of the path, watching Sora as he wandered about. The man played tricks on him, disappearing and reappearing. Only after toying around with Sora for long enough did he fade away, pointing Sora in the direction of his next journey._

_Castle Oblivion was a remarkable view for Sora, but he only got up to the doors when the image cut out._

_"I've been to see him..." said a man in a black cloak. He sat on a cold boulder facing an endless sea that only reflected moonlight and darkness. The man spoke with a deep voice, turning his head to see a younger figure dressed in a matching cloak approach from an opened corridor. "He looks a lot like you."_

_"Who are you?" the boy asked. That same boy fought a seemingly endless swarm of Neoshadows. He used two Keyblades to do the job, until an older boy with silver hair and eyes hidden behind a blindfold appeared atop the skyscraper. They clashed. All Heartless were defeated, and then it was the two of them._

_Riku and his foe fought on equal ground, but the hooded Keyblade Wielder was able to stave him off. The Keyblade he used fell to the ground as the hooded boy stood over him. Riku gritted his teeth and glared at his opponent through the black fabric obscuring his aquamarine eyes. "Why?! Why do you have the Keyblade?"_

_"Shut up!" the boy shouted, attacking Riku again while he was still down. Then, there was a flash of light..._

* * *

_Roxas opened his eyes slowly and gasped softly when he came to. The dream was over, finally, and he was feeling fair. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he pushed himself up and stood in the middle of the messy bedroom. A strange sensation was flowing through his body. It was like he wasn't even himself. Like... he was standing in someone else's shoes._

_Turning around, the teen looked outside at the rising sun. It was a beautiful day, but something felt off. He did as he usually did and got dressed into his usual clothes. Ate breakfast. Brushed his teeth. Then, he walked along to the usual spot where he knew Hayner and the others would be waiting._

_He saw them standing in a huddle, talking to each other. It must have been about the day's plans, but they were speaking so quietly. Yawning, Roxas rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms. "Man, I could not sleep last night... Guys?"_

_It was like they were ignoring him. Unsure of why they didn't hear him, Roxas went to tap Hayner on the shoulder, but he was shocked to see his hand slip right through his friend's body. He gasped and stepped back in shock. They were still laughing and having a good time. Hayner, Pence, and Olette ran right through Roxas like ghosts. Roxas was breathing hard and looked over himself to see if he was really a ghost himself. Yet, he looked as he normally did._

_"What?" Roxas shook his head and approached Hayner's usual spot in the hideout. It was the picture they had taken a while back at the old mansion... or so he thought it was. Well, it had those three on it, and they were at the mansion. However, the photo was missing Roxas. "That can't be right. What's going on here?"_

_Rushing out to the back alley, Roxas tried to catch onto their trail in order to give chase. He wanted to figure out what was going on, but they were already gone. The alley was empty and cold. No wind blew, and the sun failed to warm him up any. There were no birds chirping nor flying through the sky._

_Roxas took another step into the alley, only for one of the mysterious enemies to appear in front of the stairs leading to the sandlot. More of them had Roxas surrounded, forcing him into a corner. A dark portal opened up behind him, in front of the gate to the usual spot. Stepping out from it was a man with spiky red hair, but Roxas was not all that surprised to see the man. He wasn't like a stranger so much anymore. _

_"Look at what it's come to," Axel said in a sad tone, gesturing to the creatures he commanded. He frowned and knitted his red brows in response to seeing Roxas's mildly concerned expression. "I've been given these icky orders to destroy you if you refuse to come back with me."_

_"We're... best friends, right?" Roxas asked, trying to act calm and composed. _

_"Sure... but I'm not getting turned into a Dusk for..." Axel rubbed the back of his head, a little taken back. He paused, realizing what Roxas had just said. His emerald eyes widened and a smile appeared on his face. "Wait a sec! You remember now?!"_

_"Y-Yeah," Roxas nodded timidly. _

_"Great!" Axel snapped his fingers and grinned. "But you know, gotta make sure and all. So, umm... What's our boss's name?"_

_Silence. _

_Axel groaned and shook his head as Roxas picked up a stick. "Can't believe this..."_

_The stick in the boy's hand transformed into the Keyblade, allowing him to take on all of the enemies fighting under Axel's leadership. They were quick to assault him, but Roxas fought them all off all by himself. A new type of enemy appeared, nearly stabbing Roxas in the gut with its sharp limbs. They were fast and sunk into the ground for stealthy maneuvers, but it was not enough to get the upper hand._

_He was ready to face off against Axel once more, like they had fought at the Struggle tournament. But, when the cloaked man was about to throw his chakram, time froze him in place right as he made the motions. Roxas cautiously lowered his guard, studying his frozen friend._

**_"Roxas, to the mansion! The time has come!"_**

_That other man's voice echoed loudly in his ears, making Roxas groan. He tightened his fingers around the Keyblade and shouted at the top of his lunges. It worked that time, so why not now? "Hayner! Pence! Olette!"_

_Time was completely halted, giving Roxas the time he needed to hurry to the mansion. It was the only place he could think to run to. His friends were nowhere to be seen, and Axel was still frozen. He gritted his teeth and braved the loneliness to follow the mysterious voice's instruction. The strange enemies seemed to be unaffected by the time freeze, so he had to fight his way to the mansion. _

_Axel regained himself after Roxas left, but he was saddened by the circumstances he found himself in. There was nothing he could do but follow orders, so he took a shortcut to the same place Roxas was going. The mission was not yet over. He still had a trick up his sleeve to get it done, just like he was told to._

* * *

_Roxas dashed through the woods and cleared out as many enemies as he could to get to the mansion, but more of them seemed to pop up after one was defeated. He was gasping for air by the time he made it to the sealed gates. Unfortunately, he thought, there was no way beyond that point. More obstacles to put a stop to him, and in the form of the silver creatures in jumpsuits._

_"Don't call me and then lock me out..." he complained, backing up as they threatened to attack. But, at that moment, he had a vision of Sora performing with his Keyblade in a familiar motion. It was what he did to seal these things called Keyholes, and also to unlock doors. Roxas peered over his shoulder at the large lock attached to heavy chains. "Oh..."_

_Doing what Sora did, he unsealed the gates and hurried into the mansion while his enemies pursued. They were locked out, colliding with the oak wood when Roxas fled inside. A powerful force blew them away, back outside the gates, which closed tight. Ansem arrived through a corridor of darkness, and he was well equipped to eliminate all threats._

_Roxas successfully entered the old mansion. His eyes were wide with awe as he looked around at the scattered and broken antiques. The foyer was a mess, but he didn't pay too much attention to that. Rather, he was troubled by the appearance of more enemies inside. They lurked every inch and tried to harm him, until he dismissed them with the Keyblade._

_He soon found himself in a pure white room on the second floor. There were sketches all over the walls and floor. The table was littered with colored pencils. He walked around but stopped at a sketch of him running through an unknown setting. "Ah!"_

_Roxas groaned when his head painfully throbbed, forcing into him a memory of him and Axel at the Dark City. The pain faded a moment later, allowing him to refocus and calm down. Roxas breathed out and turned around to see Namine sitting at the table. He blinked slowly and stared at her with a serious expression. "Organization XIII... They're a bad group."_

_"Bad or good, I don't know," Namine said, looking up at Roxas from where she sat. To the best of her ability, she wanted to explain. "They're a group of incomplete people who wish to be whole. To that end, they're desperately searching for something."_

_"What?"_

_"Kingdom Hearts," she continued, answering his question. Roxas chuckled surprisingly, confusing the girl. "Funny?"_

_Roxas shook his head and approached Namine. He stopped short of the other chair and smiled softly at her. "It's just, I think- I've been running away from the question I really wanna ask: What's gonna happen to me now? Just tell me that. Nothing else really matters anymore."_

_"You are..." Namine trailed off, but her body faded away before she could finish._

_The man in red appeared out of the blue, taking the girl's place. He stood across from Roxas with his hands behind his back. Roxas gritted his teeth and recognized him as the one who appeared during the tournament. "There's no knowledge that has the power to change your fate."_

_Roxas, remaining as calm as he could be, argued back. Even if there was no way to change the circumstances of his existence, he had the desire to know. Yet even with his right, the man determined that Nobodies had no right to know the things he wanted to, nor to even exist. Then, the pickpocket appeared._

_"DiZ, we're out of time," the man said, urging the man in red out of there. "Too many Nobodies! We're having trouble getting them all out."_

_Another corridor opened, and Namine stepped out with worry visible on her face. Her appearance made one thing clear. There was an important message that she had to deliver, and to the one person it concerned. Her eyes focused on Roxas and she took in a breath in her effort to confidently relay the words she had to say._

_"Roxas, Nobodies like us are only half a person!" Namine explained to him, much to the dismay of DiZ. "You won't disappear. You'll be whole!"_

_"I'll disappear...?" Roxas's eyes widened. _

_"No further outbursts!" DiZ shouted, forcing Namine back through the corridor as she tried to clarify things to Roxas. Swearing to meet again, Namine departed with a saddened but determined smile. They were all gone, leaving Roxas alone to absorb all that had been spoken. _

_He picked up Namine's sketchbook, for it was the one thing she left behind. The last drawing she had in it was odd, but it appeared to have a deep meaning. With it in his possession, Roxas left the white room and plowed through the evil Nobodies that were attacking. The mansion was a maze to get through, but he managed to get to the library and put the sketch to good use. How surprising it was that the drawing opened a secret entrance to a lower level in the mansion. Roxas followed it to a dark lair. It was a laboratory._

_"What is all this?"_

* * *

In the depths of the mansion, the white-haired girl wandered through the white corridor with Keyblade in hand. A voice led her to the mansion in the first place, and she knew it to be the appropriate course of action. Roxas would be there soon enough, which meant he would be coming to her. That was also going to be when she finally made things right in this world, so she believed. In her heart, she hoped that Roxas would be able to overcome his next obstacle. The Nobodies were running out of control thanks to Axel's intervention in their plans. _Their_, or _them_, meaning DiZ, Namine, her best friend, and herself.

She avoided anymore confrontations with the Nobodies after securing the pod room and the basement corridor. No doubt, Axel was waiting right outside in the hall. It was best to let Roxas take care of him, then she could protect the ones who were not yet awake... all but one. She trusted in him enough for that to be a fine plan. It also gave her the time she needed to sit with Sora in the large pod room. Some time to think about all that he had been through. The memories that they now shared.

"There's no point in sticking around any longer." There was no mistaking his voice. Hearing him prompted the girl to turn on her heels to face the cloaked man. Or, rather, she was facing a boy who had been transformed by the power of darkness. It was a look that she felt did not suit him, but the circumstances behind it were mostly understood. She paid no mind to it now that he was there. Riku was still Riku, even if he was in the form of one of their greatest foes- Ansem. He removed his hood for her to see his face, and it visibly bothered her. It was like being face to face with the Heartless boss all over again. Still, she could feel Riku's heart and light. "If you want Sora to wake up, then let Roxas be."

"I know, and I will go," she nodded her head, dropping the smile that once lightened her face. "I'll just wait a little longer. You know... for them."

"Fine..." Riku nodded, hiding away under his hood again.

"Wait!" She grabbed Riku's arm when he turned to leave through a corridor, the portal that would pull them apart. Not wanting to lose sight of him, she clung to his arm and looked up into his amber eyes. "We never got to go back to the islands together. Promise me one thing, Riku. We have to meet again, but not like this."

"It's a promise," were his last words before Riku disappeared. She was left alone in the pod room to consider what he said. It was all she could hope for. For now, though, she had to meet with Roxas. That boy's time was drawing near, and there was something she wanted him to know if he didn't already.


	13. Beginning Again

Roxas walked slowly through the basement corridor, his footsteps echoing. He looked around, amazed by the complexity of the mansion's hidden floor. There was so much technology that went over his head. He was not sure what to make of it, but he knew that there was something behind them. That man, DiZ, used these machines for some grand scheme. Now, here he was exploring the basement and seeing it all with his own two eyes.

_Pods... _There were two rows of pods on one side of the hall. Three of them caught Roxas's attention. He stopped in his tracks and took a closer look at the sleeping people inside each pod. They didn't move, but the vitals showing next to the pods they were in told Roxas that everyone was alive and well.

"...Donald?" Roxas identified the first, seeing the feathered duck sleeping in the leftmost pod. In the next one after Donald, Roxas saw the shield knight resting peacefully. He kept his voice low as to not disturb them, but it was likely that neither heard him in the first place. "...Goofy?"

Roxas took a few steps to the side to come face to face with the third pod after the magician and knight. He narrowed his eyes at the girl sleeping in the pod. An emotion he was having a hard time deciphering bubbled in the pit of his stomach. White hair running down her shoulders. She wore a black cloak, like the man who prevented him from rescuing Namine. This girl's face was exactly like the girl he saw in the dreams, but she looked a little bit older. Actually, there was someone else she reminded him of. They looked so much alike. Was it a coincidence? He wanted to think so. "You must be Kara."

"Yes... That's right," Roxas jumped, startled by the sudden appearance of someone he was hardly expecting. But, still, her voice was a welcome one to hear. He felt more at ease when he saw his friend standing over by the door to another part of the mansion. It was assumed to be the chamber where Sora was being held. Roxas ran over to her, stopping only a few feet away to see that it was truly his lost friend. "Igni! You're alright!"

The white-haired girl was taken back by how Roxas acted when he saw her. It was like he was relieved that it was her, but she felt annoyed when he called her by that name. She frowned and stared into Roxas's eyes. His smile eventually faded when she only returned silence. "W-What's wrong?"

"That's... not my name," she said, troubling Roxas even more.

"What?" he blinked. He was confused, but that was only until he remembered that night in the woods. The day they first met. Suddenly, Roxas was smiling again and shook his troubled thoughts away. "You finally remember who you are! I was worried that you'd have, um... lost it for good. A-And you remember where you're from?"

"I do," she responded. But, the tone in her voice hardly sounded excited or the least bit joyous over the occasion. Pausing, the girl he thought greatly of as a friend, though their friendship only lasting for about a week's time, stepped around Roxas and stood before the third pod holding the young woman she resembled in appearance. She rested her hand on the pod and stared up into it. "My name is Kara. Now that you know... Go. Sora needs you."

* * *

_Roxas was faced with the final door. His goal and destiny was on the other side, and he was urged to move forward to face it. Slowly but surely, realization was coming to mind concerning this peculiar fate. The more he wanted to deny it, the more it seemed true. No doubt remained in his mind when Kara encouraged him to go through to Sora's pod. A little bit of fear was creeping into his heart, or what should have been his heart. What a rare case it must have been for a Nobody to have or even act like it had a heart. Nonetheless, he braved the invisible force pushing him back and stepped through the door she unlocked for him._

_The large pod in the plain chamber was right there in his line of vision, along with DiZ. Roxas clenched his fingers and walked forward until a certain point. At least he was recognized by the walking enigma- one of them was. "At last, the Keyblade's chosen one."_

_"Who are you talking to?" Roxas questioned him, scoffing quietly. "Me? Or are you referring to Sora?"_

_"To half of Sora, of course," DiZ replied coolly to the boy's irritation. "You reside in darkness. What I need is someone who can move about the realm of light and destroy Organization XIII."_

_"Why? Who are you?" Roxas asked again. _

_"I am a servant of the world," DiZ gestured to himself by placing a hand over his chest. He ended his words with a rising chuckle, baffling Roxas. "And, if I'm a servant, then you should consider yourself a tool at best."_

_"Was that... Was that supposed to be some sort of joke?" Roxas hissed, letting DiZ know that his irritation was growing profoundly. Angrily, he summoned the Keyblade and growled at the man. _

_"Cause I'm not laughing!"_

_Roxas ran forward and slashed through DiZ, but no damage was dealt. A line of pixels at the point where he ran the Keyblade through him rippled. The attack he poured so much into did absolutely nothing. Whipping around, Roxas tried to figure it out, but no answers arose. There was a trick to it, he thought._

_"My apologies." DiZ remained standing, giving an apologetic note to the Keyblade master. "This is only a data-based projection."_

_Regardless, Roxas vented out in an angry outburst and repeatedly attacked the projection of someone who had to be his worst enemy at that moment. One last and tiring slash, and the fake DiZ faded away. Roxas panted and dragged himself back together as another DiZ appeared behind him. "Come, over here."_

_"I hate you so much..." Roxas said between clenched teeth. _

_"You should share some of that hatred with Sora," DiZ teased. "He's far too nice for his own good."_

_"No!" Roxas yelled. "My heart belongs to me!"_

_Once more, he cut through DiZ, sending the projection away at last. He unintentionally made a small bit of contact with the pod, causing it to react and open up. Roxas narrowed his eyes and backed away cautiously in case another trap was being laid out for him. Mist was flowing out from the pod as the curved glass lowered to the ground. Roxas focused his blue eyes on the boy floating in the pod. _

_"Sora... You're lucky." __The anger was leaving Roxas as he examined Sora's sleeping form. He lowered the Keyblade and took in a deep breath. Stepping forward, the Keyblade master's missing half smiled softly. "Looks like my summer vacation is... over."_

_"Kara?"_

_"Yeah?" _

_Kara stepped into the chamber, hearing Roxas call for her. Her golden eyes wandered from Roxas to Sora, and a small tear rolled down to her chin. While his back was still to her, she quickly wiped away any evidence of her crying and approached them. No words were needed between them now. She understood what he was wanting from her. Once he was gone, someone needed to pull the plug on the machines that kept Sora, Donald, and Goofy asleep. The task was being left in her hands._

_"I'm sorry," Roxas told her apologetically. He was surprised when she took his hands into hers. Her touch was gentle and comforting. The light he became so curious about was right there in front of him. Closing his eyes, Roxas bit back sobs. She was smiling at his reaction and squeezed his hands. _

_"Don't apologize and don't go thinking that you have to go through this alone," she said. "I'll be on the other side... waiting to meet you again."_

_"Promise?"_

_"Promise."_

_The two bid their farewells to one another. Roxas followed through with his destiny by allowing himself to fade back into Sora. Light enveloped Sora as the pod closed again and with him still inside. It only meant that Kara would be able to stir him from his sleep once she got back to the real Twilight Town. She left the chamber without looking back and returned to her pod, where her real body was still sleeping. It opened after she pressed a code into the keypad, allowing her to step inside and merge with her "other self"._

* * *

_Inside the real Twilight Town's train station, a mysterious engine rolled along the tracks and came to a stop at the boarding zone. It was a magical looking train- decorations of stars and a moon were painted all over the pointed hat on top. One of the doors opened, and king Mickey stepped out into the station wearing his black cloak. There was no one to greet him, save for a hooded figure standing near the stairs to the outside plaza. A slim female who wore the same garbs. He was hesitant to approach, but she reassured him that it would be fine by removing the hood._

_"Oh!" King Mickey gasped, running over to Kara. He was relieved to see that it was her. Since he left to meet with someone of great importance some days ago, he never got the chance to speak with her. They had much to catch up with, but there was so little time. Whispering something into the king's round ears, she put her hood back over her head and led the older master to someplace else._

* * *

_"Sora?"_

_"Who's there?" __Groaning softly, Sora fumbled around with his hands, trying to reach out to the mysterious personage he saw in his dreams. There was a voice. One that was strangely familiar to him. A boy who looked almost like him was standing in the middle of the darkness, calling out to him. But, then he was gone._

_"Sora!" Another pair of voices were calling out to him, he noticed. The first sounded more nasally than the one that came after. They were urging for him to wake up. That was what it sounded like to him. Sora groaned again and peeked his sky blue eyes open. Those voices were none other than his friends. Did he fall asleep without telling them again?_

_As much as he wanted to fall back asleep, Sora refrained from doing so and reached out for the two calling out to him. He was visibly sleepy as the doors to the pod he was in lowered down to the ground. It was a good rest, he thought. Sora yawned and stretched his arms to get rid of the tired feeling he was still getting. But, he jumped back into attention when he saw Donald and Goofy chuckling over something. Pursing his lips, the young teen jumped down to their level and fell into a bear hug._

_"Donald, Goofy!" he laughed. Compared to the time he first journeyed with his companions, Sora was all grown up. His voice was deeper and more mature, too. Yet, no matter how much he had grown, Sora gleefully jumped around in a circle with Donald and Goofy to celebrate their reunion. They only stopped when Jiminy Cricket crawled out of Sora's hood to stretch out._

_"That was some nap!" Jiminy yawned and jumped down from Sora's shoulder._

_"You mean, we were asleep?" Sora asked. "For how long?"_

_"I guess we musta been or I don't think we'd be so drowsy..." the chronicler assumed, rubbing his head. _

_"When do ya think we went to sleep?" Goofy asked the group out of curiosity._

_"Uhh..."_

_"Let's see... we defeated Ansem..." Sora recalled, and the others confirmed his outward thoughts. "Restored peace to the world... found Kairi... Oh yeah, and then we went to look for Riku and Kara. I think that's right so far."_

_"Then what?" Donald folded his feathered arms, demanding more from Sora, but the teen was at a loss for words. "Hm."_

_"What does your journal say, Jiminy?" Goofy inquired of the cricket, hoping to find a better source for their wondering. _

_"Gee, there's only one sentence..." Jiminy gasped, turning the pages through his journal. "'Thank Namine.' Hmm... I wonder who that is."_

_The group was clueless as to who Jiminy's journal was referring to. It led to open criticism from Donald. Nonetheless, the team chose to investigate their whereabouts and figure out what world they were in now. Sora found the place amazing when he went out to the woods. And, the town on the other side of the woods was unique in its own way. It did remind him of another world he had been to long ago._

_Eventually, Sora and the others made their way through Twilight Town, arriving at a back alley. Something about the place rang a bell in his head as he admired the alley. "You know, I think I've been to this town before."_

_"What's it called?" Donald asked him._

_"Don't know," Sora answered. "Guess I must've imagined it."_

_They continued on and passed through a red curtain blocking the way to some secret hideout. There was a trip of teenagers sitting around on the other side, and they looked incredibly bored. That was until Sora and company intruded into their space. A blonde boy wearing camouflage pants looked up from where he was sitting and glared at them. "What do you want?!"_

_"Uh, nothing!" Sora held his hands up defensively. "Just was wondering what was back here, is all."_

_"Now you know," the rude boy said. "This is our spot, so get lost."_

_"Umm..." another boy, chubbier than the other, approached Sora with a curious expression. He examined them closely as though they were from some other planet. It was a little creepy to Sora at first. "You're new around here, right? I'm Pence."_

_"Hayner," introduced the boy who was not so nice in the beginning. "Nice to meet you, but we got stuff to do. So... catch you later."_

_"My name's Olette," said the girl, who felt it was necessary not to let this chance for making new friends go by. She was awfully sweet and welcoming toward them, like Pence was. Olette assumed they were new students. Well, she thought Sora was rather than the other two. "Hey, did you finish up the summer homework yet? Independent studies are the worst, huh?"_

_"Homework?" Sora cringed at the word. Neither Donald nor Goofy could offer him any support in getting out of that one. He did remember that vacation was ending around the time he started his journey. What were the chances of there being a load of homework waiting for him back home?_

_"Hey, what're your names?" the one named Pence asked them._

_"We're Sora, Donald, and Goofy," the goofy knight answered, gesturing to each of them in introduction. _

_"Oh," Olette looked to Pence, seeming to be surprised at their names. "We actually just met a couple of people who were looking for you."_

_"They sure seemed in a hurry," Pence pointed out. "The one little guy had a black coat on, so I couldn't see his face, but he had these big round ears. And the other girl was wearing the same coat."_

_The trio took a moment to think about who it was they were talking about. There were only so many people they knew who might have fit the description. A little guy with big round ears, and some girl wearing matching clothes as him. It took them a moment to realize who the first one was. And, when it hit them all at the same time, they gasped and grinned happily. "The King!"_

_"Where'd you see him?" Sora asked, hoping to know where King Mickey was at least. _

_"At the station," Pence answered. Thanking them profusely, Sora departed from their hangout spot after they went to take care of their assignment. _

_"Oh boy! The King's trying to find us," Donald exclaimed, clicking his heels._

_"Yeah!" Sora nodded. "Let's go to the station and see him!"_

_"Gwarsh, but who was the other gal looking for us?" Goofy wondered as they walked out of the alley. No one had a clue, but they chose to focus on the matter of their king. One way or another, they'd get their answer. If not, then perhaps King Mickey would give them a hand in figuring it out._

_The way to the train station was easy to navigate with the help of bystanders. Sora, Donald, and Goofy arrived at their destination in a matter of a few minutes. It was a beautiful place, the station was. They could see the clock tower overlooking the plaza and town. That was probably the most striking feature of this world that their new acquaintances called Twilight Town. Unfortunately, however, there was no sign of the king anywhere. Except, a strange creature in white rose from the ground via a strange portal. _

_Several more of them appeared and had the party surrounded. Sora summoned the Kingdom Key and focused his eyes on the unique symbol on the heads of the apparent enemies. It was nothing familiar. No way was it the Heartless emblem he was so used to seeing. These things were something different. Nonetheless, he chose to help his friends fight them off._

_Yet, after a few waves of the enemies were wiped out, more came after. It was a battle where their numbers were endless, and it was wearing down on the heroes. Donald and Goofy were the first to fall to the ground, too exhausted and drained to fight any longer. Sora inched back toward them when the fiendish foes closed in on them, then he also dropped onto his bottom in defeat. He was too weak to lift another finger. "T... There's way too many of them...!"_

_It looked like a dire situation for them to be in. Unlucky, so their observers would put it. Two pairs of eyes from above saw the scene unfold. Black coats. Big, round ears. A small man and a young woman with hoods hiding their faces. They watched from the very top of the tower and summoned identical Keyblades upon seeing the silvery enemies dancing around Sora, Donald, and Goofy. And, before the three of them could be attacked, they jumped in and defeated all of their opponents in a timely manner. _

_The female Keyblade Wielder dropped down first, landing a heavy strike on the first. A strong slash through two more, and she blocked an incoming attack from the next. Her partner in action jumped in only seconds later, taking out the bad guys that threatened to attack her from behind, and the one she parried was cut through with ease. Sora, who held his Keyblade out in front of him after thinking he was going to get bombarded with all sorts of hits, lowered his weapon and glanced at the heroes in black coats. __Golden Keyblades that looked the same as each other, and also similar to his silver Kingdom Key. Sora leaned forward, unintentionally gawking at the fantastic entrance they put on. But, Donald and Goofy shoved him down after catching sight of the big ears. _

_"Your Majesty?" Donald questioned the smaller of the two. "I-Is that really you?!"_

_"Shh!" The small-bodied master shushed them, truly confirming his identity. But, it was not something he wanted to be known out loud. King Mickey nodded to his companion, who sped walked to the station after concealing her Keyblade. The king returned his attention to his close friends, motioning for them to go with the cloaked female. "You gotta board the train and leave town! The train knows the way. Don't worry, she'll go with you to show you the way."_

_"Here."_

_Sora stood up and took a small and orange pouch from the king. He knew nothing about what was so significant concerning the pouch. It had some weight to it, and there was a faint jingling he could hear when it was shaken in his hand. Other than that, there was no explanation behind it._

_"Your Majesty..." Donald quacked, watching the king run into town. He was gone before they knew it._

_"The King... Was that really him?" Sora asked in disbelief. _

_"It coulda been," Goofy said, but then he took that back with a sure nod. "Yep, I know it was!"_

_"Now we know he's okay!" Donald cheered. _

_Sora was a little troubled, though. Digging into his memories, he recalled seeing the king on the other side of the door they sealed with the two Keyblades. "The King was locked in the realm of darkness, right?"_

_"Uh-huh."_

_"But we just saw him..." Sora brought up this barely recent time they met the king. Of course, Donald and Goofy were able to recall the same thing. "And if the King is here, that means Riku's here! It might mean Kara has a chance, too." _

_"He's gotta be!" Donald agreed._

_"Well, I'm gonna go look for my friends," Sora concluded. His eyes briefly trailed over the entrance to the station. "Then we can go back to the islands together. Kairi's there waiting for us. What're you two gonna do?"_

_"Gwarsh, Sora," Goofy sulked. "Do ya have to ask?"_

_"Hey! What's so funny?!" The response was amusing to the young master, which got under Donald's skin. Sora was too busy laughing to let Donald's yelling get to him._

_"Your face!" Sora pointed at their expressions, which were quite silly. As serious as they looked, Donald and Goofy couldn't contain their own laughter. They broke out in a fit and laughed along with Sora. "What do ya say, guys? Let's stick together for one more journey. To... where again?"_

_"We hafta board the train and go with that there feller in the black coat," Goofy explained, pointing at the train station. _

_"Oh yeah," Sora nodded. "C'mon, you two!"_

_They hurried inside to follow the black coat's trail to the train. Curiosity led them to investigating the contents of the pouch Sora was holding, too. A crystal orb and a load of munny for their travels. It seemed like a little much, but no one had the intentions of tossing away the helpful support. _

_Hayner, Pence, and Olette managed to catch up to them before they got up the stairs. They had come to see their new friends off on their journey. It was the least they could do, so Hayner thought. The tickets were purchased, but that was when Olette noticed something peculiar. Sora's pouch was exactly the same as the one she had made for herself and her friends. Thinking nothing of it at first, Sora went to climb the stairs to the train, until a strange feeling came over him._

_"I can't help feeling like we won't see this town again..." he blurted, letting the others know of his saddening thoughts. _

_"Why not?" Donald asked him, but he was able to get over it for a moment. _

_They passed it off as nothing and continued on to their ride. The train and their mysterious guide would not be waiting for very much longer. Before leaving, Sora prepared himself as well as he could. It was Donald's nagging that encouraged him to do so, so he did what he was told. This journey they were going on was certainly going to be a long one._

_"Okay, let's go!" Sora told Donald and Goofy as the train door opened wide for the rest of the passengers to board. He turned to the three who he got to know a little bit. Bidding them farewell, Sora took a step inside the train. _

_"Hey, Sora..." Hayner muttered. "You sure we haven't met before?"_

_"Positive," he thought it over for a moment. "Why do you ask?"_

_"I dunno," Hayner shook his head and smiled. Strangely enough, it brought a tear to Sora's eye. They were both taken back by it. "You okay?"_

_"Y-Yeah," Sora wiped it away and nodded. "Don't know where it came from."_

_They said their goodbyes again, allowing Sora to jump on the train and join the others. The purple train rolled back out onto the tracks, departing from the station at once. It was sad to see each other off, but they knew it needed to be done. Sora, inside the train, was so busy staring out the window at the twilight sky. He picked out the orb and held it up to the light. Doing it seemed right for the time. Something inside him was eager to try it out. __Sora sighed and dropped it back into the pouch after a few minutes of admiring the sparkling crystal. _

_"You know... I'm sad," he said in a low tone. Donald and Goofy shifted around in their seats to listen to him, and they felt bad for how he was feeling. _

_"We'll be back." Donald tried to encourage him and lighten the mood. _

_"Yeah," Goofy chimed in. "We can visit Hayner and those guys again someday."_

_Not too much longer after that, the terrain outside changed drastically after a radiant flash of light. Sora gazed out the window again and saw thousands of stars scattered in the sky. Finally, they were on course for their unknown destination. He took his seat across from Donald and Goofy to wait it out. __They were quiet for some time, until a dark feeling came over the trio. __Someone was watching them. Sora could feel a pair of eyes piercing his heart. Instinctively, he turned his head to the left and caught sight of someone sitting in the shadows at the far end of the train. A person in a black coat with one leg crossing over the other, arms folded, hood up. Sora stood back up and faced the mysterious passenger. _

_"Who are you?"_


	14. The Mysterious Tower

"Who are you?"

The question from Sora easily stole me from the wandering thoughts of my mind. It was tossed around, pondered over for a few minutes. There were several ways in which it could be answered, but only one would be just right for knocking them off their feet. But, giving it to them was far too simple. The three of them had been asleep for a year, so they needed a little bit of a brain game to dust off some old cobwebs. If they remembered... I'd certainly feel reassured that _our_ efforts in Twilight Town weren't for nothing. All he had to do was remember me. Although unsure about how ready Sora was for a pop quiz, I smirked at his inquiry and lifted my head to see him standing in the middle of the aisle.

Amusingly, his clothes were much too small for him. The time he spent sleeping was just enough for his growth spurt to kick in. No doubt, he was already a couple inches taller than me, and also Kairi. Sora's hair lightened, and he sounded more mature than before. Still as lanky as a monkey as ever, yet he was able to handle the Keyblade so finely during that last encounter with the Nobodies. Sora surely could make many more good impressions like that, I was sure. But, that was enough of my quiet observations. It was about time I got to know my good friends all over again.

"I thought you could tell me." I spoke softly to Sora, Donald, and Goofy. So a little bit of a trivia sounded like a fun idea. It would get them thinking and make it possible so they wouldn't just rely on someone else's word. Them figuring it out made it all the more meaningful. "Sora."

"Huh?" Sora tilted his head to the side, having been jumbled by the hinting response. He acted thrown off. Folding his arms across his chest and studying me from afar, the other Keyblade master thought deeply. He scratched his head thoughtfully. A look to Donald and Goofy for help came up with nothing. Apparently, not even they had an answer for this _fantastic_ mystery. "Um... Could you step into the light...? Maybe just a little."

Sighing quietly, I glanced around myself and noticed the poor lighting in the train. The spacious and star-littered land we were crossing did nothing to provide any more light. _Okay, I can give him that. That might have been my mistake_. I took a few steps forward, this time standing well outside the veil of shadows in the back end of the train. This time, the three goofballs were able to see my full stature. "Better now?"

"Gee, you do sound like someone I know," Goofy tapped his bottom lip, squinting his eyes for a better look. It was a slight bit of progress, I supposed. Goofy always did have an idea about something, and he usually had good insight. That was just my take, though. He was still a silly knight but with a big heart.

"Just tell us!" Donald grumbled, tapping his foot impatiently. No matter how much sleep he got, the magic-wielding duck was in his usual bad mood. Or, rather, he never let go of that bad and short temper. It was hardly surprising. I didn't doubt that his heart was full of love for those two and the king.

"I've got nothing!" Sora blurted, making giggle at their attitudes.

_They gave up_. I hoped that it was just the effects of DiZ's work making them feel a bit hazy. Nonetheless, I extended my hand to Sora and smiled kindly. The end of my world would only come if our promise was forgotten, not because of a slight struggle like this. He just needed the right incentive to remember.

"I found my way back through the darkness," I said in a low voice. "Just like I promised."

"Oh..." Sora mumbled, dropping his arms to his sides as the realization hit after a long pause. I could have sworn that I saw a tear drip from his chin, but the light from outside was too bright for me to make it out. We were crossing over to the next world, where King Mickey said an old Master was waiting. The doors on the train opened right up for us to exit, but we were still locked in our moment. Too busy to step foot outside. When the light had dimmed, I felt a gentle grip around my thin wrist and looked down to see Sora holding onto me. "You kept your promise. Thank you."

I quietly nodded, using my other hand to lower my hood to my shoulders. But a simple handshake was not enough. I pulled Sora into a tight hug, with Donald and Goofy tearfully joining in the embrace. It was so good to see them again. A new journey was ahead of us, and we were going to go through it together again.

"Let's get out there," I patted Sora and Goofy on their backs, letting the three of them take the lead outside the train.

We were stunned to see where it was we arrived. A tall and mysterious tower with a simplistic layout. Looking around, I saw that we were standing on some kind of island in the center of a vast sea of golden clouds. The sunset at the horizon was casting a beautiful ray across the lands, which included several mountain peaks covered by green pines and other trees. Up above, there were countless stars dotting the darkening skies. This place was nothing like Twilight Town.

To our surprise, the train didn't stick around in case we needed a ride back to Twilight Town, the neighboring world. A column of light warped it away. The only thing remaining was the blue line of tracks stretching in both directions- one leading back to where we had come from and the other to some other place beyond this realm. Sora and I looked at each other; he laughed sheepishly. "There goes our ride..."

"Eh, who's that guy over there?" I asked the others after coming around the bend of the main path leading to the tower. There was someone standing in front of the doors, peeking inside. He was a bigger fellow and wore a red and blue outfit. Whoever he was, Sora and I had never seen him before.

"What's goin' on?" Donald asked the chunky man looking inside the tower, not thinking much about the odd behavior. The man chuckled and waved his hand.

"I sent some of my lackeys inside to see if the master of this here tower's as big and tough as they say," he said in a mischievous tone, forming a fist with one hand. "Word is, he's a real powerful sorcerer. Which would make him the perfect bodyguard for me. See, it don't matter how tough he is- one he's a Heartless, he'll do as I say!"

"A Heartless?!" Donald quacked, bringing out his staff. All four of us brought out our weapons in response to the shared scheme.

"That's right," the suspicious figure nodded his head, still not turning around. "They're those things that come outta the darkness in folks' hearts. Why, with all those Heartless at her side, my dear friend Maleficent is gonna conquer everything!"

"And since I got me a debt to pay, I'm goin' 'round to a bunch of different worlds and buildin' an army of Heartless, special for her. Oh... Why am I talkin' to you pipsqueaks, anyway? Go on and scram! I'm behind schedule as it is."

"You oughta find somethin' nicer to do," Goofy told him.

"Says who?" the rotund man asked, having been thoroughly annoyed. He waddled around to face us, finally, and glared coldly at our group. Strangely, he jumped in surprise upon seeing Donald and Goofy. "Wha... AAAH! It's you!"

"Pete!" Donald and Goofy blurted in unison.

"What are you two nimrods doin' here?!" _Pete_ growled at them.

"What are YOU doing here?!" Donald threw the question right back at him but with more emphasis.

"You know him?" Sora asked, confused by the interaction.

"We sure do! Pete's been causin' trouble for ages." Goofy exclaimed. "His Majesty banished him to another dimension a long time ago. I wonder how he escaped."

Shaking mad, Pete managed a loud and obnoxious chuckle. He glared harshly and rubbed his nose confidently. "You wanna know how, eh? Well, Maleficent busted me out, that's how! And now your world- no, no, no... all the worlds- are gonna belong to yours truly. Cause, uh, Maleficent's gonna help me conquer 'em!"

"Maleficent, you say?" I snickered. The boys were all snorting in amusement.

"What are you losers laughing at?" Pete grumbled, stomping his large feet. "Why, Maleficent's power is so great, that-"

"She's toast," Sora cut in, waving his hand back and forth.

"Sorry, but Maleficent can't help ya now," Goofy chimed in.

"Whaddaya mean?!" Pete yelped the question out. He growled again and pointed an accusing finger at each of us. "You! So you're the ones that did it!"

"Well..." Sora pulled his arms behind his back with a smug smile on his face. "We mighta had something to do with it. You mad?"

The angry look Pete had on his face was a memorable one. He shook with anger and waved a clench fist at us for our remarks. Although he was aware of what had happened to Maleficent, he was not going to led it slide. Pete was holding a grudge for what we had done to his boss. "Heartless Squad! Round up!"

Shadows sprouted from the ground like flowers at Pete's command. They had us surrounded, like usual, in a matter of seconds. It was only a small group of Heartless we were being faced with, meaning Pete had only a limited source of ammo. And, it also meant that we were going to have quite an easy time tossing the enemy around. We did what we usually did when faced with the bad guys. Keyblades, shield, and magic. A combined effort put away any worries of Shadows, right before Pete's eyes.

"You just wait! Nobody, and I do mean nobody, messes with the mighty Pete!" Angrily shouting at us after we defeated the squadron of Heartless, Pete stomped down the stairs and kicked a rock away.

"Alright, then, _mighty_ Pete," I started, teasing his self-given nickname. "You can try us again when you've come up with a better challenge."

"Yeah," Sora agreed, stepping up beside me. "Huh. Who lives in this tower, anyway?"

"Oh, ya don't know, eh?" Pete smirked. "Well, it's old Yen Sid. 'Course, he's probably a Heartless by now!"

"Master Yen Sid lives here?!" Donald shook his head in disbelief. Running off for the tower, the magician hurried inside to inspect the damages brought on by the Heartless as we watched on.

"Yen Sid is the King's teacher!" Goofy explained.

"Wow..." Sora gawked at the peak of the tower. "Sounds powerful!"

Leaving Pete behind, we rushed into the tower after Donald and looked for the way up. A spiraling staircase led up into a green portal, which ended up taking us to a higher level. The wayward stairs were swamped with Heartless. I was disgusted to see the darkness staining various spots around the inside of the tower, but we made a clean sweep of most of it. I was determined to see to it that King Mickey's master was in no danger.

Two chambers we passed through were overrun by many Heartless. The waves were big, but we did well to see the end of them. Yet, no matter how well we did with taking care of the immediate problem of Heartless, we were taken by feelings of worry and anxiety among others. "Heartless, Heartless, Heartless! Things haven't changed one bit!"

"Then it's a good thing we came here," I said, rubbing my temples.

"So, the worlds aren't at peace after all?" Sora asked, staring at the next door. It was an unfortunate truth, but a lot of people were working to bring back the peace that had been around for only so long. "Then... what was the point of everything we did?"

"Once we see Master Yen Sid, we'll be able to come up with an answer for what to do," I reassured them and opened the door. "It's not like we can't handle it, right?"

Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked to each other. The gears were turning as they pondered over the next course of action we were to take. Master Yen Sid would surely help us with containing the reawakened threat of the Heartless, was our thought. If we spoke to him, maybe he would point us in the right direction to get it done. He was on the next floor, too, so we weren't so far off.

"C'mon, guys, we've gotta see Master Yen Sid!" Donald demanded, pointing at the door leading to the final set of stairs. No one disagreed. And when we came to the conclusion that we needed to see the sorcerer of this tower, we pushed through the door and ran up the straight staircase leading to the top of the mysterious tower.

The Heartless were on the other side, too. They were fixated on the door at the top, until we showed up. When we approached, the team of Heartless attacked at once, but they were defeated in a moment's time. It wasn't all that bad fighting through the Heartless. At most, it was a warm-up. I just hoped that King Mickey's master was doing okay.


	15. Master Yen Sid

The tower looked a whole lot bigger on our way up to Master Yen Sid's chamber. Small on the outside, big on the inside, and then small again beyond the last door separating us from the maze of wayward stairs. I closed the wooden door behind me, gently locking it into place while the others went on ahead.

Turning around, I saw Donald and Goofy standing with their backs as straight as can be. Sora was acting uncouth compared to them. His arms rested behind his head as he roamed around, eyes taking in the neat appearance of the room. He was too distracted to notice why the others were being so well-behaved. It was a study full of all sorts of books and antiques. I couldn't help but stare myself, until I noticed an elderly man sitting at an old desk toward the back of the study. Seeing him there, I walked passed Sora and stood on the other side of Goofy in attention mode.

Donald and Goofy were bowing in respect, so I copied the gesture with my eyes closed. There was something off, though. Someone was just standing there, watching without doing. I peeked an eye open and glared at Sora, who was busy trying to figure out what we were doing.

"Psst." I quietly grabbed his attention, nodding to the old man in the chair. Sora looked around, spotting him. Master Yen Sid, a bearded old man in blue robes, frowned and nodded to Sora. Perhaps it wasn't enough of a hint for him, because he was still standing around like a confused boy. I sighed and dropped my head. _That's our Sora..._

"Master Yen Sid! It's an honor," Donald started in a surprisingly level tone that wasn't loud or harsh. Sora looked back at me, his mouth forming an 'o' as realization struck.

"Hey there!" Sora blurted and waved to the elderly master.

"Sora," Goofy and I groaned at the same time.

"Show some respect, you big palooka!" Donald snapped, bonking Sora in the shin with his staff.

Yet, Master Yen Sid was gentle in his gestures for us to be calm. A smile appeared on his strict looking face. No offense was taken to the thoughtless greeting. Rather, he seemed to be very amused by Sora's innocent and silly personality. Stroking his beard, the mighty sorcerer leaned back in his seat and studied the four of us. His plain eyes stopped at Sora and then on me. "So, you are Sora and Kara. That means you have met the King, yes?"

"Yes, we did, Master," Goofy informed him, speaking in turn after we ended the bow. "But we didn't get the chance to actually talk to him."

"Yes... the King has been quite busy of late," Master Yen Sid explained shortly. He paused and closed his eyes thoughtfully for a moment. _Busy is right_, I thought. "Therefore, it would seem that the task instructing you four falls upon my shoulders."

"You have a perilous journey ahead of you. You must be well prepared."

"You mean... we have to go on another quest?" Sora asked. "I was looking forward to finding our friend Riku, so we could go back to the islands."

"Yes. I know," Master Yen Sid nodded. "However, everything in your journey, Sora, is connected. Whether you will find your way home to the islands... Whether you will return alone or with your friend... And, whether or not the islands will still be there. The key that connects them all is you, Sora."

"I'm... the key?" Sora, unsure of how to take in the old master's words, dropped his shoulders and pointed at himself. I smiled softly to my friend as he examined his closed hand for a moment. The Keyblade- Sora's Kingdom Key- appeared in his hand promptly at his command. "But, I'm not the only one, right?"

_The key is the one with the Keyblade_, I thought to myself. It was true that Sora wielded the Keyblade. The one he used was awfully special. If I recalled correctly, it was one of the Keyblades needed for closing the door to Kingdom Hearts. A key with a special purpose. Yet, it was not the only one. King Mickey wielded a similar Keyblade to Sora's. That made two _keys_ with deep connections. That was not the end of it, I was sure. _Because..._

Master Yen Sid's eyes flashed to me when I brought out my Keyblade. At first, he seemed completely disinterested. But his eyes were centered on the Light Seeker, memorizing every inch of the golden blade and silver guard. He finally graced me with an approving nod and smile after he finished with his examination.

"Chosen wielders of the Keyblade!" Master Yen Sid exclaimed, sitting forward with a deep and commanding tone in his voice. "You are they who will open the door to light."

Acknowledging his wise words, Sora and I nodded affirmatively and lowered our Keyblades down to resting position. Yen Sid gave a nod to Donald and Goofy, who clapped their hands against their sides in attention. This was satisfying to the sorcerer. He grabbed the armrest of his throne-like chair with one hand and waved the other over the surface of his desk. Beside the skull-shaped candle, a large book made of aged material appeared. Yen Sid raised it with his levitating magic, pushing it closer to me and Sora. "This book contains valuable knowledge you will need for your journey. Study it carefully."

"Once you have finished, we will speak of the enemies you will surely confront."

The book flipped open without us needing to do it manually. All he instructed us to read were three different parts, which held great meaning. The _Beginning_, _Interlude_, and the_ Future Story_. It was probably better to read them in order, something I took the liberty of doing out loud for Sora to hear. Donald and Goofy sat at a small table off to the side while we conducted this seemingly important study. And, Master Yen Sid oversaw our reading.

"Okay, let's start here... _The Beginning_." I ran my gloved fingers over the fading text of the first title. Thankfully, the book wasn't too badly worn. I found it easy to read through and had no trouble making out what it was saying. With Sora eager and ready to listen next to me, I began reading in a quiet but easy to hear voice.

_"Each journey gives rise to chance encounters, and each encounter brings forth a farewell. When a farewell leads to a journey, the worlds open their hearts. There are those chosen by the light and those ensnared by darkness. Friends who share the same bonds, though their paths may differ. When you doubt the path trod thus far, when the hand you held is lost to you, gaze anew at the heart that once was... For all the answers are within."_

"Next is the _Interlude_..." I said as the pages flipped by themselves.

_"A long dream. A sad farewell, hanging in the air that 'world between'. What is reality? What is illusion? The path chosen by the young boy leads to his memories. When caught in the stream of the days and nights going past, gaze anew at your steps... For there all confusion will end."_

"I don't get it," Sora mumbled in my ear, prompting me to nudge him in the ribs with my elbow.

"Just listen," I sighed. "We're almost done."

_"Will the day come when this battle, born of confusion, will end? It is different things to different people. Can the reality be that which is hidden? The reason is mere existence. Still, memories can be believed. Be not afraid. Entrust your body to the soothing waves of your memories. By and by, your fleeting rest will be over... And everything will begin."_

"I hope you have gained some insight during your study," Master Yen Sid said as we concluded with the reading. "There is certainly much to consider as you move onward."

"But wait a sec- how come the Heartless are still running around?" Sora threw in a question once everyone gathered in front of the table.

"Your past endeavors did prevent an immense effusion of Heartless from the great darkness. Make no mistake about that," Master Yen Sid answered in a prompt manner. He rested his hands on his lap, pausing a moment. "However, the Heartless are darkness made real- and darkness yet lingers in every heart. The Heartless are fewer. But while darkness exists in a single heart, it will be difficult to eliminate them."

"Gwarsh, that must mean if everybody's heart was full of light, the Heartless'd go away!" Goofy said, bringing some cheer to our minds.

"Now it is time to speak of the enemies that you will encounter." Waving his hand again, Master Yen Sid formed a holographic image nearby. To our surprise, mostly to Donald's, it was an image of our duck friend. Without warning, his hologram morphed into a Shadow. Donald was somewhat torn upon seeing it. "If one such as you, Donald, yields to the darkness in their heart, they too will become a Heartless. But you know this. The Heartless are always lurking and ever seeking to capture new hearts. Never let your guard down."

"Aw..." Donald whined.

"Now then..." Yen Sid stroked his beard. He brought up another moving image, but this time of the silver creatures we fought back in Twilight Town. I recognized the symbol on its head. My eyes were entirely focused on that one while the Shadow disappeared. "At times, if someone with a strong heart and will- be they evil or good- becomes a Heartless, the empty shell they leave behind begins to act with a will of its own."

"An empty vessel whose heart has been stolen away... A spirit that goes on even as its body fades from existence- for you see, Nobodies do not truly exist at all. Nobodies may seem to have feelings, but this is a ruse- they only pretend to have hearts. You must not be deceived!"

"Nobodies..." Sora breathed, he and the other two looking on in shock. "They don't exist..."

All of a sudden, three more Nobodies appeared together. It sent Donald hiding behind my leg, but I ignored him and continued to listen carefully to Yen Sid's explanation. "The being you see before you is known as a _Dusk_. They are the most common form of Nobody. Kara, I believe you are familiar with these creatures."

"Yes, I am," I nodded, gripping at the fabric of my black coat.

"But there are others- some larger, some with frightening and unique powers. Be vigilant!" he continued. "On your journey, you will meet an alarming number of Dusks. They will all attempt to do you harm. Still, they are nothing but empty shells, destined to return to darkness. But-"

In place of the Dusks, three men in black coats like mine appeared. I swallowed a lump in my throat and turned fully to face the images. They were so still and daunting. I felt like they were going to move out of place and attack us, almost. But, of course, these ones were not real. Stepping a couple feet closer to the holograms, I folded my arms and studied them quietly. The others were visibly worried seeing the hooded figures.

_Organization XIII..._ I clenched my teeth and glared at the figure in the middle.

"The beings you see before you now are different," Master Yen Sid said in a serious tone. "These powerful Nobodies have formed a group called Organization XIII. It commands the lesser Nobodies."

"Organization XIII..." Sora said quietly. I glanced over my shoulder at him and the others, who were staring awfully hard at me. "Hmm."

"Black coat," Donald folded his arms, looking to Goofy.

"Get that idea out of your head!" I crossed my arms. "If you haven't noticed, I have my heart."

"While Heartless act on instinct, Nobodies function in a higher manner," Yen Sid ignored us and proceeded with his lecture. "They can think and plan. And it seems they are working towards a goal. What that goal is, we do not know. The King sensed the danger, and he journeyed forth to fight it. He found the dark realm's Keyblade, and with it, closed the door. Now he's traveling from world to world, fighting the Heartless as he seeks the answer to the riddle of the Nobodies and Organization XIII."

"Then I guess we better go find the King first!" Sora figured.

"But where could he be?" Donald wondered.

"Well, we won't know 'til we look," Goofy said.

"Yeah!" Sora nodded. "And the King must know where Riku is, 'cause the two of them were together in the realm of darkness when we closed the door. You know, after defeating Ansem."

"Wait, but Kara was with the King earlier!" Donald pointed at me.

"Doesn't mean I know where either of them are right now," I said, moving his finger away from me.

"So, before you go, you will need more suitable traveling clothes." Master Yen Sid said, gesturing to Sora's... outdated outfit. He still wore his clothes from a year ago, and they did not complement his growth spurt. "Those look a bit too small for you."

"Through there, you'll find three good fairies. If you ask, they'll create for you appropriate garments."

"Gwarsh, Sora, you sure are growing fast!" Goofy teased.

"Uh, I guess..." Sora tugged at his shirt, laughing shyly.

"I'm sure everyone you met before won't remember seeing you walk around in those," I recalled meeting them in Twilight Town. The three teens who they talked with at the station, and I was sure anyone else who saw them around town. Smirking, I laughed to myself at how embarrassing that would be. "Or maybe not."

"Hey!" Sora pulled me into a bear hug, laughing as well. Donald and Goofy joined in seconds later, forcing us both into a group hug. Shortly after, we went to introduce ourselves to the fairies in the other room.


	16. A New Journey Upon Us

The neighboring room was very decorative compared to Master Yen Sid's chamber. Pink and gold ribbons were draped over the rounded windows, and a golden light from the outside complemented the skillful design. I discovered several mirrors covered by white blankets after peering under one of the silky fabrics. Doing so gave me a strange sensation that was difficult to explain. Each one was different. But, I welcomed the unique feelings, except for one. There was just one that made me feel so dark and helpless inside. I avoided going back to that mirror.

Our attention was drawn to three elderly women wearing colorful dresses- Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. They had tiny wings on their backs and small wands in their hands. By the looks of them, these had to be the good fairies that Master Yen Sid mentioned to us. Bickering good fairies. Something had them arguing, though it didn't seem serious at all.

"Me, you guys, Riku, and the King." Sora's words were serious when he stood front and center in the room. His eyes narrowed and hands balled up as he stared straight ahead. "I don't care who this Organization is or what its planning. With the six of us- I mean, the seven of us- there's nothing to worry about. Right?"

"Yeah!" Donald and Goofy agreed in unison.

_Seven?_

"Well, look who's here, dears!" the fairy in the red hat and dress exclaimed, breaking out of the other conversation. "It's Sora, Kara, Donald, and Goofy!"

"Ooh, if you're looking for clothes, you've come to the right place!" said the fairy in blue. She was a little more plump compared to the other two, and maybe a bit younger.

"I'll do the designing," said the fairy in green, adamant in her position.

Sora was taken away from us so that he could get his new clothes. I covered my mouth when his clothes, still looking shrunken, were turned into each of the fairies favorite colors- blue, green. and red. It went on for several minutes. They couldn't settle on just one color. Rather than gifting him with a more comfortable attire, they fought for dominion.

Sora groaned as it continued on for too long. Amusing as it was, I had to agree. We had a lot that needed to be done, and a lot of time was being wasted. "Aww, would you just decide already?!"

"Oh!" the fairies froze, one of them holding her wand above her head. The fairies looked to each other, finally realizing the foolishness behind their antics. "Alright, then. Together now, dears, and no more squabbling!"

They shot their magic at Sora at the same time, and he was enveloped by a powerful and blinding light. Donald and Goofy were shielding their eyes as it radiantly shined around him. And when the light dissipated, we beheld Sora in his fantastic new look. Everyone in the room was gawking at the _new_ Sora, even he himself. The fairies, who were so proud of their work on him, threw compliments every which way. And the Keyblade appeared in his hand on its own, certainly complimenting him.

"Now those aren't ordinary garments," Flora told Sora.

"They have very special powers," Fauna added, holding her wand close.

Fauna flicked her wrist, using her magic to create a strange looking orb in front of Sora. Upon their instruction, he took it in his hand. Donald, Goofy, and I were wide-eyed. The orb made him change into a red and fiery looking uniform. Or, rather, he was transformed by the power of valor. I could feel the strength radiating from Sora. "Whoa!"

"Wow!" Donald looked on, amazed.

"Two Keyblades?" I gasped. This other Keyblade was known as Star Seeker, and it was a beautiful Keyblade. It gave off a magical aura as it secured itself in Sora's left hand.

"This journey's gonna be twice as difficult as your last," Merryweather said. Although, it was a bit distressing to hear.

"Ah, your garments also have other powers- but you will have to discover what they are as you continue your journey," Flora interjected.

"Okay, I'll do my best. And thanks a lot," Sora nodded, picking himself back up cheerfully.

"Oh, and there's something else for you dearies from Master Yen Sid," Fauna told us, pointing back at the door to Yen Sid's chamber.

"Oh boy!" Donald danced. "I wonder what it is!"

"I betcha it's somethin' good!" Goofy danced, too.

"Oh, and Kara," Flora called out to me. We were just on our way out of the dressing room when the fairy gently took hold of my wrist. I stopped and turned around to face her, and she smiled warmly at me when I did. The others continued on out the door. "There was something else Master Yen Sid wanted to give, but it is something meant for you."

"For me?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. As flattering as this mysterious gift was, I was a little confused. I was pretty certain we only came here for instruction from Master Yen Sid, and to get Sora's new clothes. King Mickey never mentioned anything extra. But, instead of rejecting it, I wanted to accept their kind gesture. "W-What is it?"

Like they did with Sora, the three fairies blasted me with their magic and a rich light wrapped around my entire body. I closed my eyes as it began to shine even brighter. Power was seeping into my skin. Warmth. Strength. This power was unlike anything else that I had ever felt. It made me feel so... different. I found it hard to explain, even in my own imagination. "Magnificent."

I admired myself in a nearby mirror. The black coat I was wearing was replaced by an incredible new uniform. A black, short-sleeved hoodie with gold and white trim, a white shirt underneath with a silver crown imprint on the front midsection, dark blue leggings underneath black shorts that have the same gold trim around the edges, and black gloves with gray bands crossing like an 'X' over the wrists. I found two straps hanging from the back of my shoulders, and there were two silver crowns attached to the ends of them. The boots I now wore went up to the middle of my shins. They were black with a gold stripe going up the middle and had metal plates over the toes, and two gray bands crossing over each ankle.

My hand gently touched the black choker around my neck. The silver crown pendant on the front of it was brimming with light. I smiled at my new appearance. At first, it was hard for me to believe that that was me in the mirror. I only recognized the white hair and amber eyes. "I... suppose these new clothes have special powers, too. Thank you..."

"It was the least we could do," Fauna said in a giggle.

"Now, off you go, dear," Flora shooed me away. "You mustn't forget to meet with Master Yen Sid before you go."

"Right," I nodded and ran out the door in a bit of a hurry. Thankfully, the others were waiting right outside for me. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, but where'd this new look come from?" Sora asked. He folded his arms and admired my appearance for a minute. "It looks cool!"

"Come on, you two," Donald yelled from across the hall. "We have to hurry to Master Yen Sid."

With Donald's words ringing in our ears, Sora and I hurried along to meet with the master in his loft. Master Yen Sid was out of his seat and standing at the crescent moon window. He turned around when we came into the chamber, and he motioned for us to approach. "Come and see."

_How many more surprises does he have for us?!_ I blinked in response to a large object floating outside the tower's window. It took me a minute to make out the strange thing, but my mouth curved into a bright grin when I realized what it was. The others were just as excited, maybe even more. Donald and Goofy rushed over to Master Yen Sid with Sora and me right behind them.

"Hey!" Donald quacked in exclamation. "It's the Gummi Ship!"

"I thought it was lost when we crashed in the Heartless world," I said to myself.

"So, you guys ready to go?" Sora asked everyone. We nodded and leaped into attention mode to face Master Yen Sid. It felt a bit silly, but that was our way of expressing our gratitude to him.

"Now, now, just a moment," Master Yen Sid waved his hand at us. Sighing, we relaxed our shoulders and gave our all into listening to more of his words of wisdom. "Because of your previous endeavors, the worlds have returned to their original states. That means the pathways between them have disappeared."

"How do we get around?" Donald slumped forward, desperate to know.

"Do not fear," the master smiled. "If what the King suspected proves true, the worlds have prepared new pathways along which you may travel. These pathways may be utilized by unlocking special gates. How these gates are opened, I'm afraid I do not know... However, the Keyblade will serve as your guide. When a beam o light radiates from the Keyblade, return to the Gummi Ship. Though the worlds may seem far apart and out of reach, they nonetheless remain connected by invisible ties. As do our hearts."

"Our hearts are connected," I said softly. "Even if we might not realize it."

"That is correct," Master Yen Sid said. "But be warned. As you proceed... The Heartless and the Nobodies will use their own paths: Corridors of darkness, to travel from world to world. Kara, I believe you have become familiar with these during your last efforts."

"Er, that's right," I nodded nervously.

"Your enemies may be attempting to link these dark pathways to the gates between the worlds," he continued.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Donald punched his fist into his hand. "Why I..."

"Now then, that is all the information I can give you," Master Yen Sid chuckled and ignored Donald's fiery temper. "Go forth... Sora, Kara, Donald, and Goofy. Everyone is waiting."

"Okay, let's get going!" Sora chanted to us.

"Master Yen Sid!" Donald started, prompting us to go back into attention.

"We sure do appreciate the help!" Goofy chimed in as we saluted one by one.

In a single file line, we were headed for the door leading out of Master Yen Sid's tower. I was following Sora and the others out, until a strong hand fell on my shoulder. It startled me, and I froze in place with my hand on the heavy door. _What is it this time? I really want to get going, and I'm sure the others do, too._

Master Yen Sid was the one who stopped me but for a reason I was not yet aware of. He looked stern and cold as he gazed down at me. The way he was looking into my eyes made me feel uneasy, like I had done something wrong. He lifted his hand and put it away under his long sleeve as soon as he saw that he had me listening.

"There is just one more thing that I must speak to you about, Kara," Master Yen Sid said, stepping over to his desk. I left the door cracked and followed him over to listen further. "I fear that I might be putting too much on your shoulders, but I do trust you are very capable for this task to face the darkness more directly."

"Another task?" I asked, and the old master nodded. "Well, I've been through a lot already. If it's the darkness, I can handle it."

"So you've proved," he smiled. "Those new garments you have received will be your support. Though they be of light, you have harnessed powers of darkness. The twilight road to nightfall. I believe you are capable of weaving through the darkness in a way that can prove helpful to this journey. Should your friends ever be in need, use your power to save them."

"Perhaps this new power will save you, too. It is up to you to determine how. But, do be wary. The darkness might do harm to your heart if you wander too close. In spite of these dangers, I leave to you the responsibility of finding the connections obscured by the darkness."

"Got it," I said, accepting the mission.

"And, Kara. There is one more thing you must remember," Yen Sid paused, sitting back down at his desk as I stepped away. But he knew very well that I was still listening. "Though you might not understand yet..."

"_May your heart be your guiding key_."


	17. Hollow Bastion: First Visit

_"My goodness! What **is** that?!"_

_The three good fairies were distraught at the sight of a dark crow breaking through the window of the dressing room. Under its sharp talons was a black cloak, and the black bird picked it up again to carry inside. With it laying flat on the ground, the fairies examined it closely from the other side of the round table. The crow hopped off of it as they did so. Something about the cloak rang terribly familiar. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather were cautious, almost refusing to step any closer._

_"Haven't we seen this somewhere before?" Merryweather asked the others, leaning closer to Flora. _

_"Yes, dear," Fauna answered. "I wonder whose it was..."_

_"Oh!" Merryweather gasped. Putting more effort into remembering, the light in her head flickered on as she recalled the place and person. "It's Malefi-"_

_"No!" Flora shouted as Merryweather stopped herself from saying the name. Stern and deeply concerned, the fairy in red touched the sleeves of her sister fairies. "We mustn't remember her name! Oh dear..."_

_"She was a mean ol' witch..." Merryweather huffed. "Oh no! The memories are coming back! What'll we do?! Oooh- What'll we do?!"_

_Before their very eyes, wisps of darkness rose from the tattered cloak that belonged to that terrible witch who controlled pure darkness. The cloak was wiggling and rose as if being filled with air. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather gasped in shock as they witnessed it- the cruel figure reforming. They murmured amongst themselves as it happened slowly. Out of desperation, Fauna tried to shuffle through any useful suggestions. "Perhaps we should tell Master Yen Sid."_

_"Yes!" Flora agreed in an instant. "That's what we must do. Hurry!"_

_Flora and Fauna left immediately, but Merryweather still watched the cloak rise from the ground. Finally, the witch's true form was complete. Her horns topped her head, and her dark staff rested in her palm. An ugly darkness the fairies feared was finally awake again. Fear struck the blue fairy, who ran away after the others. "Maleficent!"_

_Admiring her location, Maleficent grinned evilly and chuckled. She felt complete now. And, still holding remembrance of what had happened in the past, Maleficent immediately began plotting. There was much she wished to do to the realm she was banished from._

* * *

_"Howdy, Sora! How ya doin'?"_ Dale the chipmunk cheerfully popped onto the monitor inside the Gummi Ship's cockpit. Everyone was buckled up and ready to go when both Chip and Dale appeared. Sitting down next to Sora, I watched the small chipmunks jumping up and down excitedly. It made me happy seeing them again after so long. _"Hey! Looks like everyone is here!"_

_"It's your favorite Gummi engineers here, ready for duty!"_ Chip jumped up. _"Chip..."_

_"..and Dale!"_ finished the red-nosed chipmunk.

_"Happy flying!"_

Sora and I turned to each other with bright smiles. The screen with Chip and Dale shrunk down and moved to the corner of the monitor so that we could see what we were doing. With the introduction of our gracious engineers out of the way, I stood up and summoned the Light Seeker.

"What're you doing, Kara?" Goofy asked me as I pointed the Keyblade in front of me. Outside the Gummi Ship, there was a barrier of sorts. It was a mix of greens and blues, and stars were scattered all around. This wall was in our way and kept us from going to other worlds with the Gummi Ship. I wanted to get rid of it, or at least make a way for us to travel. Something Master Yen Sid said made me wonder... _Will the Keyblade really guide us to the worlds needing our help?_

"Trying something out," I said simply. _There's only one way to find out, and that's by doing._

A beam of light shot out from my Keyblade, breaking through the barrier. It looked like shattered glass, but my eyes spotted the hole in the barrier that we needed to go through. The area around us opened up into a vast space, allowing us to see just about everything. Plopping down in my seat and buckling up, I pointed at the opened path ahead of us. In the midst of asteroids and space, I saw the way back to Twilight Town and the route leading to a familiar looking world.

"What? Only one?" Sora pouted, even though we were finally getting somewhere.

"That's no good!" Donald whined. "Why didn't you open more routes?"

"Wait! I think it's a world we know!" Goofy exclaimed.

Ignoring Donald's impatience, I urged Sora to fly us closer to the world orbiting its own space. The Gummi Ship sped around it, which let us take in its massive form. A castle on the top, and a castle on the bottom. This main castle my eyes focused on was a clear reminder. We knew this world very well. _I never thought we'd end up back here._

Donald's magic took care of hiding the ship while we landed safely in Hollow Bastion. It was put in a secure location. In the meantime, we took to exploring the nearby town, which looked like it was under construction. Compared to our first time in this world, it looked a lot different. Like it was actually populated by people.

* * *

_Pete, the suspicious individual who had summoned Heartless to eliminate the heroes who pulled the plug on his master's evil plans a year ago, wandered through a blue ravine. Though he was not aware of it, nor were they, he was only some miles away from Sora and the others. Hollow Bastion was a large world. More likely than not, they'd never cross paths at this time while he explored the dark castle on the other side of the great maw. He snuck through a secret path in the ravine to avoid the mass of Shadows circling the castle._

_Peeking inside, he looked around for anyone that might be there. He hoped someone was there. It was scary being alone with the Heartless. As soon as he deemed it empty, Pete called out for the boss he followed vigilantly. "Maleficent! Maleficent!"_

_"Maybe they really did finish her off." His calls went unanswered. Pete was starting to believe the words of Sora and his friends, now that he walked alone. But, he didn't see it yet. The crow that had guided Maleficent's cloak to Yen Sid's tower entered the world through a Corridor of Darkness. He flew to the messy castle to visit Pete. "And this castle sure ain't what I expected. No shine, no nothin'. Now what's gonna happen to our plan?"_

_"Squawck!"_

_"Huh?" Pete blinked in surprise when he saw the crow land on the short stone wall. In his eyes, this was a sign worth believing. It was only a matter of time now, he thought. Maleficent would be arriving soon to give him instruction._

* * *

When we got to the town, the first thing our eyes fell on was the giant castle that was only a few miles away. It was bigger than what we were expecting to see. Pieces of it were being drawn up the sides by hefty cranes. Although it was in a state of being rebuilt, I easily recognized it as the castle we sealed the Keyhole in. Back then... when we met Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness. _Yeah... I remember clearly now._

"It's Hollow Bastion!" Sora breathed, admiring the amazing view.

"Gwarsh, it looks kinda different now," Goofy pointed out the remarkable changes. One being the state of the castle, and the second being the town we were in. From where we stood, I noticed small fountains pouring water down the sides of gray brick walls. This new Hollow Bastion looked so much more full of life than what we had seen of it previously. It made me feel so much happiness.

"I sure hope Leon and the gang are doing okay," Donald said, thinking back to the swordsman and the others we met in Traverse Town. Now that I thought back to meeting them, those guys said something about this being their home world. _I bet they're responsible for all of this._

My attention moved away from the castle and the town. There was something else on my mind, and Goofy noticed it, too. Only a short distance away, on one of the many rooftops, my eyes locked on to two Heartless Soldiers spying on the citizens. The Heartless eventually disappeared through the portals they took to get there. But, even if they weren't there anymore, a wave of concern rushed over me.

"Heartless..." I muttered, folding my arms across my chest.

"Uh oh," Goofy bit his fingertips and looked to Sora and Donald. "Looks like we're gonna have to do some fightin'."

We went down the stairs to the marketplace and admired all there was to see. Everyone was so lively and happy to interact with one another. And, the shops were just bustling with business. We couldn't help ourselves. There were some good things to buy in preparation for our long journey. Well, with what munny we could use.

"Uncle Scrooge?!" Donald suddenly quacked and ran off to another shop. I thought it was a shop, but it looked more like a giant freezer. Standing in front of it was a duck man who looked identical to Donald, except he wore fancy clothes and had a cane.

"Er, who?" Sora asked.

"His uncle, I'm guessing," I half-teased Sora, and he shot a glare at me.

"Yup!" Goofy nodded. "He's Donald's uncle- a business typhoon. Before the Heartless showed up, he traveled the worlds on a Gummi Ship with the King. He was helpin' to set up a traffic system."

"A transit system!" Donald angrily corrected Goofy.

"That's incredible," I giggled.

"What's all the racket?" Mr. Scrooge whipped around, looking quite annoyed as he licked his discolored ice cream. Immediately, his expression lightened. "Ah, why, if it isn't Donald! And Goofy, too! Hello, lads! Aye, you all look hale and hearty.

"So do you, Uncle Scrooge," Donald said, greeting his uncle.

"Ah, if only I were..." Scrooge shook his head sadly. "I canna seem to recreate my favorite old-time ice cream. I'd make millions if I just got it right... It's terrible!"

_Business typhoon for sure_, I noted. We gave Scrooge our best wishes before walking away. He seemed like he was going to be awfully busy for a while, and we didn't want him to feel stopped. Down the next set of stairs, we left the market and wandered straight into the residential area. There weren't any people on the streets, surprisingly. Actually, I was expecting to see at least a few people there.

I looked around, hoping to spot Leon or someone else I remembered from a year ago. But, instead, we were met by a strange light that moved around the path. It appeared and disappeared. A peculiar phenomenon that we could not explain. What was it?

"Hey, what's going on?" Donald asked, seeming a little panicked.

"Huh? It looks like... something digital," I observed.

"Digital?" Sora asked.

"That's the town's defense mechanism," a girl answered. Looking all around, we didn't see her until we looked up. A girl who looked to be about the same age as me was standing atop a stone ledge. She had a bright smile on her face. Black hair, an attire resembling that of a modern ninja. It was the one and only ninja around town.

"Yuffie!" Sora and I said at the same time, and she saluted.

"Uh, look out!" Yuffie shouted, breaking out of the moment. Her warning came in time as Nobodies appeared to attack. Dusks and lesser Nobodies known as Creepers had us surrounded. Sora narrowly dodged an incoming attack and whipped out his Keyblade to defend against the sudden threat.

Sticking to our usual fighting methods, we combated the enemies and fought alongside the town's defense mechanism. Having it around made things a lot easier with facing them, until a new type of Nobody joined the fray. While the others were busy with the Dusks, a _Samurai_ Nobody lashed out at me with its twin swords. I was able to defend against its attacks. A few good hits were landed, but it endured. Suddenly, the Samurai sat in a meditative position with its swords lying on its lap.

D̴͇̖̱̰̰͔̬͐̏̐͋̕͘͜ͅů̸̥̥͖͉̿̽̊̿e̸͇͚͒̔̾̾̿̆l̶̫͍̞̯̰͚̹̳̐̓͗!̶̧͇̫̾͛̐̚

Time slowed around me as I stood with my held Keyblade upright in front of my torso. I moved instinctively as my eyes focused on the Nobody. It moved like a silent snake, picking its blades up and setting one foot on the ground. My eyes closed only briefly as a voice beckoned me to act. Breathing out slowly, I cut through the Nobody in a flash movement. The single strike sent the sword-wielding foe fading away. Looking back at the others when time seemed to flow again, it seemed like the fighting was all over. _That's the end..._

"Good going, you guys!" Yuffie cheered us on, jumping down to our level. She dusted off her legs and proudly complimented our abilities. "I see you're still in top form."

"What'd you expect?" Sora smirked, bumping his chest with his fist. "Looks like you're doing okay."

"Well, what did YOU expect?" she teased.

"How are the others?" Donald asked.

"Great!" Yuffie answered. By now, I found it hard not to see how excited she was. "They're all busy with a bunch of stuff."

"Hey, Yuffie," Sora frowned a little and approached the ninja. "Have you seen the King and Riku?"

"Nope." Yuffie shook her head and walked off into the other direction. She stopped partway and smiled again. "But I had a feeling I'd see you guys again."

Her words were enough to get Sora out of his depressed state. He held up three fingers and bowed his head. Sora's eyebrows knitted together as he recited someone else's words. "_We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other._"

"Is that supposed to be Leon?" Yuffie giggled, and we all laughed at his interesting impression of the swordsman. She motioned for us to follow her after enjoying some more silliness. "C'mon, everybody's working on stuff over at Merlin's house."


	18. Unclear Motives

**A/N** Alright readers, we're getting this Keyblade adventure going! But first, a little game for those who are actively reading/following. *recorded cheers sounding* **

**We've got two options right now for the next world Sora and Kara visit. The Land of Dragons and Beast's Castle. **

**The question is: "Which one do we go to first?"**

** Leave your answer in the reviews and the story will continue as soon as a decision is made!**

* * *

Merlin's house wasn't too far from where we were in the residential area. It was a bit of a maze, and the Heartless gave us a hard time getting to his place in a timely manner. But, with Yuffie and the unique town defenses by our side, we were able to breeze through and meet up at the wizard's inconspicuous home. Compared to his abode in Traverse Town, this little building was much neater in appearance. The front door was not hard to get to at all, thankfully.

Yuffie pushed us through the front door and slipped around so that she could direct our hopeful eyes to each fascinating thing in Merlin's house. A man with short blonde hair sat at a computer at the far end, his back to us. Two others stood on either side of him. Although I could only see their backs, those three were hard to forget. Memories of interacting with them a long time ago sparked in my mind. Back then when the shop clerk gave us shelter after we were snatched from our home. The time Sora and I fought the man who wanted to take the Keyblades from us. And, when we came together as friends at the start of our first journey. That was right... These were the people who had also lost their home. Now it was back, and they were busying themselves to restore everything to its rightful place. Cid, Leon, and Aerith. Of course, Yuffie, too.

"Meet the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee!" the perky ninja welcomed us, gesturing to the others at the computer. Aerith smiled warmly and clasped her hands together when she saw us enter. Leon, as cool as he was, folded his arms and smirked. Then, there was Cid typing away on the keyboard. He was looking pretty worn out from the work he was doing.

"We missed you!" Aerith said in a soft-spoken voice. Kind as ever.

"Well, if you ain't in top shape," Cid bit down on his toothpick, giving us one look over.

"I knew it..." Leon surprised us all with a real smile. He leaned his shoulder against the wall and chuckled softly as we joined them by Cid's computer. It was a little confusing, though, whatever it was he was talking about. "A while back, everyone suddenly remembered you guys, all at the same time."

"Oh, neat," I said. That was supposed to happen when we woke up in the mansion.

"You... remembered?" Sora gasped. He, Donald, and Goofy realized it a moment later. "Wait! Does that mean you forgot about us?!"

"Thanks a lot!" Donald grumbled, glaring at the restoration committee.

"Where've you guys been all this time?" Yuffie asked us, changing the subject a little.

"We were sleepin'." Goofy put it in a short and simple way.

"Where? Cold storage?" Cid joked.

"Not exactly..." I rubbed the back of my head. "It's hard to explain."

"It doesn't matter," Aerith shook her head. Putting us all in the right direction, she skillfully made it a more joyous occasion. "This is great. Everyone's together again!"

"So, um..." Sora stepped forward, and I knew he was bringing up a concern he had before. "We're trying to find Riku and the King. Have you guys seen 'em?"

Unfortunately and expected, none of them had seen our missing friends. I folded my arms and thought back to my last meeting with the King. He never said where he would be going, nor did Riku before that. The two of them were on a path of their own. Maybe it was best for us to not bother. _I just hope they're alright._

"We're sorry," Aerith said. "But let us know if there's anything we can do to help."

"We will," I nodded. "Thank you."

"Yeah-"

"Don't go thankin' us just yet," Cid jumped up and cornered Sora and I. He cracked his fingers and grabbed the two of us by the hood. "Heh."

"Hollow Bastion's got a big problem," Leon said.

"You mean, like Nobodies?" Sora poked his head around Cid. "And Heartless?"

"That's right!" Yuffie confirmed the troubles. "And we could really use your help."

"Then you've got it," I nodded.

"We'd better cut to the chase," Leon pointed out, stepping over to us after Cid let us go. "Sora, Kara, Donald, Goofy. We were hoping the four of you might give us a hand around here."

"Like we're gonna say no?" Sora grinned.

"Helping friends is what we do best!" I chimed in, playfully bumping my fist into Sora's shoulder.

"I forgot who I'm dealing with," Leon chuckled shortly.

Donald grumbled and put his hands on his hips. Acting offended, his feathers got all flustered as he glared up at Leon. "What do you mean by that, huh?"

"Just think of it as a sort of... _Leon compliment_," Aerith giggled.

Leon walked around us to the door and took one step out of the house. He turned around and motioned for us to follow after him. "Follow me to the bailey, you two. There's something I need to show you."

"Oh! I thought it was you. Right on time!" Well, our intention was to go straight there with him, but Merlin appeared in a puff of magical smoke. His hat was tipped over when he showed up in his home, and he adjusted his glasses to see us better. The crafty and creative Merlin had his wand in hand, ready to use some magic. "I'm afraid I did not bring any treats for our guests."

"Sora and the gang said they'd help out!" Yuffie blurted to the wizard.

"That's a splendid idea!" Merlin cheered. "We'll be able to count on you children. Ah, then I assume you gave them the cards, dear?"

"Oh!" Aerith gasped and dug into her pocket. Three purple cards- one for each of us. "Here, these are presents for you. Leon thought you might like to have them."

I admired the card she gave me, and my name was on the back. The others were greatly interested in the small gift. Small, it might have been, but it was really much bigger than what it seemed.

_Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee... HONORARY MEMBER._

"They're membership cards!" Donald exclaimed.

"Kinda cool, huh?" Goofy held his up and smiled gleefully.

"Hey, thanks, Leahh... huh?" Sora paused and turned around. He was trying to thank Leon, I supposed. But, he had already gone to the bailey, where we were supposed to meet him. "Oh, right... We're supposed to meet him somewhere around here. Right?"

"We'd better go!" Goofy pointed at the still open door.

"Just a moment, Sora," Merlin stopped us. "What about your magic?"

"What do you mean?" Sora cocked his head to the side. "O-Oh... I forgot."

"That's what you get for sleeping so long," I teased him. "Too bad. I still have all of mine, and I've improved, too. Guess that makes me..."

"Don't say it," Sora plugged his ears, as did Donald. The King's great magician had to face it, too, since his magic was left at a standstill.

"...the best," I finished, smirking at them.

"Now, what am I to do with you?" Merlin sighed. "I suppose I'll have to lend you a few pointers. But, do be careful."

"Thanks, Merlin!" Sora grinned, sneaking a playful glare at me.

"To the bailey, and fast!" Donald urged us on.

The way to the bailey was littered with a few stray Heartless. I assumed they were here due to the still constant spreading of darkness. Or, that one guy we met at Yen Sid's tower was meddling around in this world, too. It was hard to say with there being so many possibilities. Nonetheless, we cleared them out and made our way to where we needed to be. Some fun was had fighting them, though. I felt like I was getting much stronger every time I beat a Heartless. Maybe these new clothes were really enhancing our development.

Leon was standing in the bailey and staring out one of the cutouts in the stone wall. I could see the vast land of the world when we joined him on the other side of the bailey. It was an incredible view of everything we had yet to explore. The man who skillfully wielded the gunblade pointed out at something in the distance. "Look at that."

It was another castle. I had to strain my eyes to see it, but I made out its peculiar features. Narrowing my eyes, I detected the massive presence of darkness, which had the dark structure surrounded. A sea of darkness was what it resembled. It moved and gave terrible vibes. The bright red emblem on the castle gave me shivers.

"Heartless..." I breathed.

"We want to restore Hollow Bastion to what it was before," Leon told us. "Who knows? Maybe we can make it something even better. There's still a lot to do, but I'm sure we've got things handled- Except... for that... and that."

There was another problem Leon pointed us to. It slithered through the road in the canyon below. A pair of Dusks, pesky Nobodies, were on their way to the castle. That was what we were assuming. It was possible they were just scouting around. That itself was a major concern. Even so, we were up to the challenge.

"We'll handle 'em," Sora declared. "Those Heartless and Nobodies won't stand a chance."

"Well, that's good to know," Leon smirked. "So... do you know what the deal is with them? The creatures you call Nobodies. The Heartless, too."

"There's this guy, Pete, who's been going around plotting with the Heartless," Sora explained. "But he's not smart enough to tie his own shoes."

"But he's able to use this darkness for a bunch of bad tricks," I added in to help clarify. "Most likely, he's getting help from another source. Although, there's a bigger threat we need to be worried about, and that's the Nobodies."

"And those Organization XIII guys in charge, too!" Goofy said, revealing the main problem facing the worlds today.

**_"You called?"_** A deep voice boomed from somewhere outside the bailey. It bounced around the walls and sent shivers down my back. Sora and I ran ahead to where we thought it came from, our friends were close behind with their staff and shield drawn. _**"You appear to be doing well."**_

"Who's that?!" Sora demanded answers, summoning his Keyblade. He was hunkered down and ready for a fight, but our enemies were not visible to our eyes.

_**"This calls for a celebration."**_

The mystery intruder spoke slow. It was almost like he was making a joke out of this. I cautiously looked around and brought out my Keyblade in case a fight was about to happen. And that was most certainly the case. Dusks appeared to attack, prompting us to run back into the bailey with Leon. Donald and Goofy remained out in the other area to handle the two enemies that had appeared. More appeared to sneak through the gates leading into town, but Sora and I cut them off. Shutting the gates, Leon instructed us to protect that point.

"We can't let them get into town," I told Sora, smacking a couple of Dusks away. "We've got to finish this fast."

The three of us worked together in the bailey to fight the onslaught of Nobodies. On our own, it would have been a lot more difficult. What made it really annoying was that the waves of Nobodies would weave around us to target the gates directly. However, we were not letting them have their way. Sora, Leon, and I plowed through the enemies until there were none of them left. And when it was clear, Sora and I ran back out to see to it that Donald and Goofy were doing alright on their side while Leon assessed the damages.

_**"The Keyblade... a truly marvelous weapon."**_ Organization XIII's mysterious representative spoke again, stopping us in our tracks. **_"If only it were in more... capable hands."_**

A gross wave of laughter sounded following the words of the unseen Nobody. I gritted my teeth. There were more than one, possibly the whole Organization. No, a portion of it. I nearly forgot that a number of them were dealt with thanks to Sora and Riku. But, even so, it was bad that they had us outnumbered right now. We weren't ready for a head on confrontation. Not yet. All we could do now was our best...

"Show yourselves!" Sora shouted at the top of his lunges, cutting through the laughter. As if they were obedient pets, several Corridors of Darkness opened up above on the top wall overlooking the bailey. Donald and Goofy joined us as the Organization XIII members lined up together to oppose us. _This isn't good..._ I gritted my teeth at the sight of them. "So many..."

"Organization XIII!" Donald and Goofy yelled.

"Good. Now we can settle this!" Sora, suddenly taking a bold stand, clenched his fist and hunkered down for a fight. I shook my head and clicked my tongue. That was a bad idea, maybe the worst he could ever think of. The leader, I assumed the one at the head was, was among them. He had to be very strong, especially when his strength was combined with his allies. "Kara, you ready to back me up?!"

"What a shame... And here I thought we could be friends." The Organization's leading figure spoke in a melancholic tone, shaking his hooded head. I was hesitant to reply to Sora's headstrong attitude. But, I got the feeling that they weren't here to settle things just yet. They all left through their individual corridors seconds later. It was a taunt rich with laughter and mockery.

"Stop!" Donald yelled, and he ran to the stairs leading deeper into the bailey. The others were eager to rush after them, but another member of the Organization appeared in the middle of their path. I narrowed my eyes and hurried over to their point when the lean man stood in the way. He was the only one to stand against us, but he had no weapons drawn. Donald was angered and waved his staff. "What's the big idea?"

"Oopsy-daisy!" the black coated Nobody waved his hands defensively, but it was clearly out of fun that he reacted that way. The boys were demanding that he get out of the way, but the man remained put. He scoffed at Sora's abrasive demand. "Now, do you think its polite to act like that? I thought you'd be taught better. Shutting me down. So mean."

"I said get outta the way!" Sora shouted a little louder this time.

"As if!" the man gave a firm 'tsk' and folded his arms. "You can talk all you want, but that ain't gonna change a thing."

"Then we're gonna MAKE you move!" Donald grumbled.

"See, that would work- if I were just any old dude," said the cloaked man as Sora, Donald, and Goofy braced themselves for a fight. "'Cept I'm not. I'm with the Organization. Nothing _any old_ about me."

"Ha!" Sora scoffed back at him. "Tough talk for someone who stood on the sidelines while Nobody flunkeys did the fighting!"

"Oh, dear." The man put his hands on his hips and stared closely at Sora. Though his eyes were obscured by the shadows hiding his face, I felt them on me, too. He had a gaze colder than ice. Goosebumps rose on my arms as I stood there. I held the Keyblade tighter and fought back against this strange and unwelcome sensation. "My boy, you must've gotten the wrong impression."

"Gonna cry?" Sora taunted. "Go ahead, I won't stop you."

"Ha. As if," he responded calmly. "I guess I need to remind you how tough this crowd really is."

"Remind me?" Sora dropped his guard slightly. Refusing to fall for any potential tricks, Sora put on a brave face and shot a mean look at the man, but that only got him laughing.

"Ah, that's RIGHT, _he_ used to give me that same exact look," the hooded man exclaimed.

"I guess you think you can psych me out by saying some random stuff," Sora shook his head. "Well, I'm not falling for it! That means nothing to me."

"Gee... I just don't know." The man was grinning from cheek to cheek, I was sure. His sinister motives were so unclear. I had a hard time figuring him out- No, I couldn't figure him out at all. He left no explanation and simply left through the corridor. "You kids be good now!"

"Wait!" Donald rushed after him. He tried to jump in after the man, but the corridor was closed long before he made it. The duck wizard fell to the ground and grumbled to himself. "Nuts! He got away!"

"That was weird," Sora said, fully lowering his guard. "Who exactly gave him the same look?"

"Y'know, I think he was just tryin' to confuse ya," Goofy said.

"Yeah, you're right," Sora nodded in agreement. "Only one me!"

_It can't be that simple._ I dismissed Light Seeker and folded my arms. A bad feeling bubbled in my gut. My heart and mind were both feeling uneasy about all of this. The Organization menace that Riku, King Mickey, and I have been searching for was definitely up to no good. But, now that I got my chance to confront them, I felt like I was at a loss. _That guy... was he talking about Roxas?_

"Phew... I'm glad that's over," Sora sighed and pulled out his membership card to admire. Now that the trouble temporarily subsided, Leon rejoined us after his assessment of the town. "The Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee Honorary Member. So cool- Huh? What's going on here?"

Our eyes witnessed a strange light enveloping Sora's card. It rose out of his hand and into the air. As for his Keyblade, light was gathering at the tip of it. Yet, as strange as it was, there was something familiar about it. "What's this?"

"Gwarsh, ya think...?" Goofy tapped his chin thoughtfully as he examined the light.

"The Keyhole!" I gasped. There it was- the Keyhole. It used the membership card to manifest, allowing Sora to seal it using the Kingdom Key.

"Ohh... now I get it," Sora said. "That must have been the gate Yen Sid was talking about."

"Oh boy!" Donald cheered. "Let's go find the others!"

"Sorry to run off on ya, Leon," Sora apologized. "The other worlds are calling us."

"Organization XIII..." Leon muttered at first. The swordsman folded his arms across his chest. "They look like a tough group to face. You guys be careful out there."

"We'll see you soon!" Sora waved, leading the way back to the Gummi Ship. I walked back to the ship with my head in the clouds after all that happened. There was so much to consider and piece together. Not a lot of things were making sense to me. But, just maybe, the answers would soon follow as we faced the Organization. If I let my judgement get clouded all the time, then what use would I be to my friends. We were in this together and nothing would stop that, except for weak hope.

_The Organization is strong, but we can become stronger_, I thought to myself. The Gummi Ship's engines got started, and we were ready to blast off for the next world. A lot was smacked down on our plates, but I had a feeling we'd make it out just fine. As long as we have the Keyblade and light on our side. I smiled and nodded to myself. _Riku... Let's do this together._

* * *

_Thirteen thrones made of pure white material. The circular chamber they stood in was empty, save for the black coat who helped himself to his own seat. He growled angrily and folded his arms across his chest. Much was on the mind of this Nobody man who had seen plenty to get a good idea of what was happening in the world outside theirs. It was a terribly unfortunate thing to potentially be reality. _

_"Do my eyes deceive me? Do those children really have the power to wield the Keyblades," the broad-shouldered Nobody questioned the others who were quick to join him in the chamber. "A little boy and girl. I find it hard to believe."_

_"Give them a chance," another cut in, arguing against he who sat in disbelief. It was the Nobody who confronted the Keyblade Wielders personally who defended their position. "You know, it means they're as straight as an arrow. The kid's pure of heart, unlike all of us here. And, the girl, she's got something in that heart of hers. Something special, that she is."_

_"They had better be, or else they are worthless," said one who crossed his legs formally. He kept his opinion short and hardly sweet. More than anything, his tongue was bitter talking about the two masters they had met in Hollow Bastion. _

_"I truly hope they are enjoying this... adventure," chimed another member. He playfully sorted through his peculiar deck of cards, which were marked with the Nobody emblem on their backs. The fronts of the cards, however, were blank. Then, as he called for it, one flashed with a silhouette of Sora and another with Kara's silhouette. "Perhaps these children might like a hand in determining their fates."_

_"Hey, as long as it works in our favor," the member with the lowest standing throne blurted. Everyone else present looked at him weirdly. They were words no one had expected... from him. "That Sora, though. We can let him do what he wants for now. We'll jump in if need be."_

_"Those are some bold words coming from you," the man who spoke with Sora scoffed lightly. "Are you saying you'll volunteer to take care of the problem if anything goes wrong? Thanks, tough guy."_

_"What?! Me?!" the other shot up, pointing at himself. "No, no, no! Y-You have the wrong guy. I'm not really comfortable with that."_

_"You act as though you have a conscience..." the first to speak in the meeting spoke again in a low growl. "When was the last time any of us felt anything?"_

_"Truer words were never spoken," the card holder said. "Well, I suppose the fun will have to wait."_

_"Do you know what happens to those who lose their true purpose? Inevitably, they destroy themselves." The discussion was turning dark, until the leader of the Organization appeared in his throne._

_"Gentleman." The highest ranking Nobody graced his subordinates with his appearance. Under his black hood, he frowned and gazed down at each member. Although each of them had good points to share, the only one he'd side with was his own. They only understood in portions, so it seemed. Should they be meshed together... it would do more good for them. "The heroes of the Keyblades have embarked on a brand new adventure. Make sure it is one they will remember." _

_"Now go."_


	19. The Land of Dragons

_Savage flames tearing through an unsuspecting village burned down everything within range. The only things left standing were the wooden beams that framed the homes, and they were left charred. Other parts continued to burn vigorously and without end. It was a wonder if anyone survived. For now, all that could be said was that there was no more life within the scorched walls of the razed village._

_Having overseen it all unfold, a sly falcon swooped down through the smoke to find its master. That master it sought out was standing in the midst of the dying flames. A fur-lined hat obscured his face somewhat, but there was no hiding the evil in his gaze. Darkness was prominent in his stare as he scanned the area for anymore prey. Though not seeing any, the man grinned and let out a sinister chuckle before departing._

_"See that, Mulan? It's Shan-Yu, leader of the Hun army!"_

_Peeking through a narrow opening in the nearby bamboo thicket, a youth wearing armor and a green scar backed away and shuddered at the sight of such terrible destruction. Mulan turned and saw the frightening silhouette of the one speaking to her, his form masked by mystery. An open fire remained between him and the armored warrior. The fiendish looking creature clenched his claws and glared through the trees. _

_"C'mon, girl. This is your big chance! I can see it now: 'Fa Mulan whups public enemy number one!' You're gonna be famous! I'm talkin' A-list!"_

_"Mushu, I'm not sure... I haven't even joined the army yet," Mulan murmured, turning around with a look of sincere uncertainty in her eyes. She admired herself in the strong equipment she wore, which happened to be taken from her father's armory. "I have to take my father's place to preserve the Fa family honor. I just hope I don't get discovered."_

_"Whatever," Mushu waved his hand. "You just scared- admit it."_

_"Aren't you?" Mulan asked, pulling her arms close to her chest. This only made Mushu sigh in exasperation. The plan they were supposed to move forward with was moving slow. Still, he was confident that they'd make it through somehow. Of course there would be something to help them succeed in keeping the family's honor. What they needed was surely right around the corner._

* * *

The dirt path cutting through a thick forest of bamboo trees was our first route to try in this new world. Thanks to Master Yen Sid's guidance, we had information advanced to us about where we were exactly. It was no surprise to us that we had to explore the world to find out more, of course. This place, the Land of Dragons, was a very interesting world. I had a feeling we were in for a treat during our visit.

"C'mon guys, better keep up," Sora called back to Donald and Goofy. But something caught our eye as we walked passed a small clearing. I quickly pulled Sora and Donald back to where I was standing behind the bushes. Goofy was there already, because he was the first to notice that something bad was potentially going on. In our huddle, we tried to assess the situation.

"You think it's a Heartless?" Donald whispered. I looked back up into the clearing, seeing the shadowy fiend's silhouette on the slab of rock. It had sharp fangs and hideous claws. And there was poor man trapped on the other side of an open fire. He looked scared, but I noticed a sword strapped to his hip. A soldier. Maybe he was too weak and injured to fight for himself.

"Let's get the jump on 'im," Sora suggested.

"Gwarsh, fellas, maybe we better look before we leap," Goofy tried to stop them. However, it was too late. Sora and Donald were already rushing off ahead to take down the _Heartless_ and save the man. _Wait a second... I don't think that's a Heartless at all._

It was a mistake to assume that it was an enemy, but it was too late to stop the others. The look on that man's face didn't exhibit any fear, nor did I sense any dangers. And, that creature, it wasn't radiating with darkness. Goofy and I chased after the others into the clearing, up until the point when they startled the soldier and the creature. They let out their war cries and scared the supposed monster away.

_Not a monster or a Heartless_, I realized when a red lizard jumped out from behind some rocks and into the arms of the soldier. The soldier and the lizard shrieked and cowered when Sora and Donald charged. I sighed and stepped over to where the boys were. Something about that lizard was awfully familiar. "Is that..."

"Is that Mushu?" Goofy finished my question.

"That's right, I know you heard of me," he popped out over the soldier's shoulder, having heard his name out loud. I grinned, remembering the fire-breathing "dragon" from a year ago. Back then, he was turned into a gem. "I'm little, lethal, and legendary! Now y'all scram before I get my dragon dander up!"

"Hey, Mushu!" Sora ignored him. "We missed you!"

"Yeah, well you better **HOPE** I miss **YOU**, or else you're- you're..." Mushu finally noticed us standing in the middle of the clearing and gasped. He looked pleasantly surprised. "...Sora! Donald! Goofy! Kara, hey girl!"

"Do you know them?" asked the soldier.

"**KNOW** them?" Mushu scoffed. He was punching the air as he recalled our time together. "Man, we used to kick all kinds of bad guy butt together! Yeah, you know, I helped these guys out of a lot of tight spots. 'Cause I'm a mighty dragon! Right?"

"Something like that," Sora said as Mushu leaned against his leg. I giggled softly when Mushu tumbled over after Sora moved his foot, not knowing that he was there. The last time we saw Mushu was when he was a mere summon gem. He was lost from his world. But now he was back home. "And... you are?"

Our attention shifted from Mushu to the feminine looking man wearing black and green equipment. _He_ was someone that Mushu knew, apparently- another resident of this world. But, I couldn't bring myself to believe that that person was a man. Too many things just didn't fit- the stature, the voice, and the overall mannerisms.

"I'm Mulan." Mushu's companion stood up straight and smiled sweetly at us. However, the sweet and kind smile quickly faded. "Um, no, I-I mean... Ping!"

"Mulan Ping?" Donald folded his arms and asked, slightly convinced.

"Just... Ping!" the young man exclaimed, correcting Donald promptly. The female voice I knew I heard deepened to show off some sort of manliness. It had to be an act, but it seemed like the others were buying into it. "I am Ping, son of Fa Zhou. You know Mushu. He's one of my family's guardians."

"Gwarsh!" Goofy's ears raised in surprise. "We didn't know we were borrowin' somebody as important as a family guardian."

"Yeah, that's right!" Mushu pointed his finger at us, then jumped to Ping's shoulder. "And that puts you four up to your eyeballs in debt to Ping here. Well, guess what, kiddies? It's payback time!"

"Mushu..." Ping groaned.

"Ah, they don't mind," Mushu rolled his eyes, making me glare a little at him. "Ain't that right?"

"Hmm, sounds fair," Sora tapped his chin thoughtfully. "What do you think, Kara?"

I softened my expression and shrugged my shoulders. We came to this world to investigate the Heartless movements, and hopefully the Nobodies. Helping Mushu and Ping along the way might not hurt, and we could probably get a little extra support from them, too. "Why not?"

"Aw, yeah!" Mushu grinned. "Ping here was just on his way to join the Imperial army of China. We gotta go find the other recruits over at the training camp."

"Would you three join us?" Ping asked Sora, Donald, and Goofy. "It'll be easier to fit in if I'm with guys like you."

"Uh..." I puffed my cheeks a little and put my hands on my hips. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, um, uh, don't- don't worry about that," he shook his head vigorously.

I was a little annoyed and approached Ping. Looking him up and down, I folded my arms and glared straight into those dark eyes. _Just as I thought_, I figured it out. There was definitely something funny about this situation- Ping, in particular. Yet, I still went with it and failed to call it out.

Ping took a step back, nervous under my sharp gaze. The others looked on with some worry, but I paid no mind to them.

"You're pretending to be a man," I called Ping out on the spot without hesitation.

"WHAT?!" Donald and Sora blurted.

"You're a girl?!" Sora realized finally.

Ping's silent response was enough to confirm it. He was in fact a she. I thought it was strange for a soldier in the army to be so shy like that. Yet, although she was found out by us, Ping's smile returned and her look of shame went away. "You guys didn't notice?"

"Not me," Sora and Donald answered together. That left me and Goofy as the ones who were able to figure it out. Well, great minds thought alike, I supposed.

"I think our plan is working," Ping turned to Mushu, proudly declaring their victory.

"I don't know..." Mushu rubbed his chin with his clawed finger. "Those two would fall for anything."

"We're right here!" Donald shouted, and Sora nodded in agreement. "Anyway, where is this training camp?"

"Come on, follow along, shorty!" Mushu called out. We all went along to follow him and Ping, until a tiny hand suddenly stopped me. My eyes crossed to see Mushu hanging around my neck with his nose now bumping mine. "Hold it there, girl. You better lay low looking like that. No girls in the army."

"You serious?" Sora ran back to us, looking like he was hit with terrible revelation. "Why's that?"

"Those're the rules," Mushu pointed out almost sarcastically. "Sorry, I didn't pack an extra suit of armor."

I folded my arms and fought the sad feeling I got. Taking a look at the Imperial army recruits sounded so exciting. No hiding that I was a little bummed about that one rule. _If only I could disguise myself..._ I hummed to myself. Finding some random guy's armor seemed like a long shot. It'd be hard enough sneaking into the camp to steal one. More likely than not, it was highly secured.

"What're you gonna do?" Goofy asked me.

Shortly after he asked me the fated question, an idea popped into my head. Of course it wasn't the best thing to do, especially because I wasn't a fan of that sort of style. But, now was a good time to tap into my other skills learned over the past year.

"Don't worry guys, go on ahead without me," I waved them away with my hand. Turning around to go down the other path, I smiled and gave a quick nod. "I'll see you down there."


	20. Walking into War

I zipped up the black coat and donned the hood over my head to hide my face. There were plenty of men within the encampment who could spot a woman from a mile away. With this, I'd at least be able to sneak by them and do as I pleased. DiZ put it very simply before. Eyes were easy to deceive, but the ears... not so much. So long as I roamed around the Chinese army forces, my mouth had to remain shut at all times unless I was only with the others.

_Move about through the darkness, and they will never discover you._

The words repeated in my head as I encouraged myself to move forward without fear. Curling my fingers to form small fists at my sides, I took in a deep breath and took long strides into the camp area. Most of everyone was lined up at one of the tents, something I found myself to be grateful for. It made for an easy _infiltration_.

"Ah..." I gasped softly when Sora suddenly flew to the ground before my feet. Glancing down at him with concern in my eyes, I saw him rubbing a bruise along his jaw. Some men were causing a dispute, and my poor friend was being dragged right into it. All of the men, in fact, were joining in on the trouble and brawling with each other. Some of them threw punches to those who didn't even want to get involved, and then everyone was fighting one another. Ping, however, was standing off to the side with Goofy. They were reasonable about the peculiar situation, at least. _Boys will be boys, I guess._

It didn't stop until a man wearing a red cape stepped out from one of the nearby tents. He wore shining armor and a stern expression. His black eyes were piercing as he scanned over the recruited officers. _That must be the guy in charge._

"Soldiers, get back in line!" the man demanded of all present men, and disguised girls.

"The Captain!" a short man with a black eye announced to everyone, prompting those who were out of line to get back into formation. The others were quick to hop back in line; I stepped in at the very back to avoid catching the captain's eye. He looked like he lost his patience, so I wanted to avoid the spotlight.

"That's Captain Shang," Ping whispered out loud so that only we could hear.

Shang, so he was called, gave the group a quick look over and walked back to his place at the front with a displeased expression. I was relieved that he didn't stop at me. The black coat was doing well to preserve my identity from them.

"Wha-?! Monsters!"

All of a sudden, when things had just calmed down, the camp was thrown into chaos again. But the cause was not some deviant recruit causing trouble. Rather, it was a band of Shadows and other Emblem Heartless invading the encampment to attack the soldiers. Everyone was surrounded, including the Captain.

"What are those things?!" Ping questioned, drawing her sword. She was less than confident facing the Shadows, but she stood her ground to the best of her ability.

"Heartless!" Sora told her, cutting down a few of them. "We've gotta protect the camp."

"So we shall," I stood with my back to Sora's and drew my Keyblade.

Sora's head turned in response to my appearance. He gave me a grin and nodded in reply. There were tons of enemies crawling all over the camp, so we had to split up and exploit their positions to eliminate them all. I was surprised that Ping fought well and did good to not let her fighting morale fall low. The five of us took care of the Heartless problem together in swift action until none of them were left.

As soon as the last of them faded, we regrouped with the army recruits at the Captain's tent. The men who were not armed for defense expressed gratitude for the work done to protect the camp. Yet, in spite of some of the fighting she did, Ping remained out of the lime light. At least she wasn't the only one.

"You three." Captain Shang approached our group and focused his attention on my three companions. "What are your names?"

"Sora."

"Donald."

"Goofy, sir."

The three of them introduced themselves to the army captain as they were asked. I was expecting there to be some sort of issue since they were not inducted into the army formally, but Captain Shang smiled at them. It was a little surprising seeing his face soften.

"You are welcome in my troop," he said. I smirked, impressed by how they were able to leave a good impression with him despite the things that transpired with the other soldiers. However... did he not seem so impressed with Ping? I hoped he would consider. "Your battle skills are encouraging."

"U-Uh... I am the son of Fa Zhou-"

"You should return home..." Captain Shang cut Ping off when she tried to introduce herself to him. The cold response was stinging.

"But..." Ping's eyes nearly dropped from their sockets. "That would dishonor my family!"

"You'd rather dishonor my troops?" Captain Shang questioned.

Feeling the need to step in, Sora moved in front of Ping when the Captain loomed over her threateningly. It was brave of him to even try to settle this sort of dispute, even risking his own self at the same time. There was a sense of trust developing, though. He must have been playing off of that. "If Ping trains hard and does his best, he'll get stronger in no time."

"Hmm..." Captain Shang folded his arms across his chest as he thought about it. "I don't know."

"Just give us an assignment and he'll prove himself!" Sora blurted, earning himself a brief glare. "We'll show you how well we can work as a team."

"So... you wish to be tested?" Captain Shang asked, and they nodded. "Fine. Our orders are to ambush Shan-Yu's army on their way here. They should be coming through the mountain pass. However, in order to be successful, we need to get rid of those monsters."

"We'll smash them!" Donald declared boldly.

"I doubt that," the Captain scoffed softly. "Your group will be the advance party. Scout the mountain for my troops."

"That's it? No problem." Sora said, resting his arms behind his head. "Right, Ping?"

"R-Right!" she exclaimed.

Stepping forward next to Sora, I gave him a pat on the shoulder and nodded in agreement. They would not be the only ones to go out and scout out trouble. I was intent on assisting my friends in this world to remove the Heartless problem plaguing it. There was no way I'd let them do all the work.

Sora gave a quick nod of his head and turned back to Captain Shang. "Captain, what are we going to do for our first assignments?"

Although it made me nervous helping out the army in this war against some man who made himself the greatest enemy of China, I was looking forward to these missions. It wasn't like we hadn't fought dangerous battles before. I was sure that Ansem was a worse threat than this. It'd be a piece of cake, especially since we were dealing with Heartless. Now all we had to do was patrol the mountains. No big deal, I thought.

"First things first," Captain Shang motioned for us to follow him along the path leading outside the camp. He stopped at the wooden posts and pointed at a snow-covered mountain in the distance. I tilted my head back slightly and swallowed a lump. "We will be traveling to the summit. You five will move ahead of our main forces and clear the way to the summit. Do not disappoint me."


	21. Playing the Part of Soldier

Waves of Heartless came one after the other on our way up to the mountain pass. There were a couple new types of enemies that did well to tie into this world's theme. Nonetheless, we used our own strength to counter theirs and passed through without too much trouble. Ping was doing well to keep up with us, and she was doing much better with each challenge faced. The captain, who was watching from afar, was almost impressed with his new recruit.

The last task we could handle before the sun fell behind the horizon was clearing the mountain pass of debris and Heartless. There were rockfalls that had taken away the army's opportunity of travel through that point. It was up to us to clear the way further in to make sure our mission was a success.

"Brr... I-It's s-s-s-o c-cold...!" Sora shivered and hugged himself to try and keep warm. "Donald! Give us some fire!"

"No!" Donald shouted back at Sora, refusing to use his magic to warm everyone up. "That's not how magic is supposed to be used."

Even under my coat, I could still feel the harsh chill of the frozen mountain air. Going on any further was going to be tough since we lacked the appropriate gear, but we continued on and shivered in our shoes. Fighting the Heartless had kept us warm to a point, but now the coast was clear. The drawn out pause we took to rest from battle was long enough for our bodies to reacquaint themselves with the environment.

We were done with clearing the mountain pass, though. The army finally arrived and moved on ahead to make camp at an abandoned village further ahead. At the time we were heading up after them, the same guys who were fighting with Sora and Donald at the camp came up to us.

"Hey, you boys ain't half bad," the short one praised us. Specifically, the praise he had to share went right to Ping for her improved fighting capability against the Heartless. They had all sorts of compliments to hand to the _man_. "Hurry up, will ya? It's freezin' up here."

"Oh, right!" Ping nodded. Those three guys in colored armor went on ahead to the camp, but Ping slowed down to a stop and stared at her feet. "But the Captain..."

"Captain!" Sora announced the incoming official. Approaching with two soldiers right behind him, Captain Shang was about to walk passed us to join the other soldiers. His attention immediately went to Sora, who had called out to him before he could go on. "Ping did great!"

"He sure did!" Goofy agreed.

"You bet!" Donald chimed in.

"Fine... I'll let you join my troops... I'm still not convinced that you have what it takes to be a worthy soldier," Captain Shang said, but his tone was hesitant. I pursed my lips and bit back a retort. That man retained a lack of faith in his soldier. Yet, that did not mean that Ping lacked what it took to be a fine warrior. She was doing well in our eyes.

"Why not?!" Sora blurted in response, looking distraught at the Captain's poor review.

"It's alright, Sora," Ping shook her head. "I'll find a way to show him what I'm made of. Just give me a chance."

"That's the spirit, Ping," Captain Shang nodded.

"Sir!" Ping stood at attention and nodded. We followed the captain to the next camping point and warmed up inside one of the buildings.

The space was one we had to ourselves, so we could relax for the night and not worry about anyone catching on to our ploys. I sat down next to the small fire built in the middle of the room the following morning and joined in with the others. Dropping my hood, I sighed and leaned forward to get some warmth back in me.

Mushu sat mere centimeters away from the open flames to thaw out his thin tail. The poor dragon had been out in the snow for far too long during his apparent mission beyond the camp, and now he was paying the price. He complained about it for a while, until he was good and ready.

"Okay, girl!" Mushu popped up to his feet and got onto Ping's lap. "Here's your big chance to impress Shang!"

"What do you mean?" Ping asked him.

"I just saw this real shady guy." Mushu's words were indeed alarming and warned us about an impending danger. "And I know it's Shan-Yu."

"Shan-Yu?!"

"Shh!" Mushu hushed everyone before the soldiers in the camp could be alerted. I furrowed my brows and folded my arms. _So, the Hun leader is sneaking around._

"We've got to tell Captain Shang!" Sora whisper shouted.

"Waaait wait-wait-wait WAIT!" Mushu jumped on Sora's head and stomped his foot. "Everybody use their heads a sec. Now, why are we here? To make the Captain see Mulan's- I mean, Ping's talents and bring honor to her family. So let's go find out where Shan-Yu is, by ourselves. Then, if we're lucky, we can fry him up good!"

"Mm..." I glanced down at the flames. Going off by ourselves was more than a little worrying, especially when it came down to confronting the foe by ourselves without support from Captain Shang's army. "I think we'd be better off just tracking him down. That'll get Ping some attention."

"Ay, Captain Musclehead will have to notice my girl!" Mushu grinned.

"Okay, then let's go," Ping said, having thought about it for long enough.

"We'll help out!" Sora threw in his support. Donald and Goofy were naturally in it to help as well. I had a bad feeling about it, but I was going to give it my all to make sure that nothing bad happened. No one was getting left behind in this.

"Shan-Yu is in a cave outside the village," Mushu explained as we all headed out together to scout out Shan-Yu's whereabouts.

* * *

"This place is real dark..."

The soldiers were unable to get involved anyway since they were still under preparation and maintaining positions around the village area. That made it easy to slip out and head for this cave Mushu mentioned. On our way to the cave, however, we were met with bat-like Heartless dropping down from the cave ceiling. I knew we'd face some kind of trouble getting there.

At the end of the cave, we found a large clearing with a shrine at the far end. A thin line of smoke was rising from some candles, which was a clear sign that someone had been in there putting some use to the cave. We were alone at the moment, unfortunately. Shan-Yu was nowhere in sight.

"Huh... Dead end," Sora muttered.

"There's nobody here..." Donald looked around again, failing to find any trails leading to the Hun leader.

"You're crazy." Mushu hopped onto Ping's shoulder. "Look again! He's gotta be here."

"Oh well," Donald shrugged his shoulders and walked away to leave with Goofy right behind him.

"Hey, wait for us!" Sora yelled at the two half-pints leaving the cave.

We were about to follow them out of there, when a rumbling nearly brought us to our knees. I caught myself before I could fall and struggled to stay on my feet as the quake continued. It only ended after a barrier of magic suddenly blocked us off from the way out.

Donald and Goofy were stuck on the other side visibly upset by what happened. Though their voices were silent due to the barrier, I could tell that they were trying to figure out how to get through. But a barrier like that wouldn't fall until the one who put it up had their conditions met. _What do we do now? _I wondered.

"I-It's an ambush!" Ping announced to Sora and I as dozens of Shadows flooded the cave. My eyes had difficulty adjusting to the dark lighting, but the yellow eyes of Heartless gave away their positions. Certainly, Ping was right about our situation. We've been surrounded by the enemy.

"Ping, get ready to fight!" Sora urged the young woman on as he manifested his Keyblade. Not wanting to fall behind and force the two of us to do all the work, she drew her sword and began hacking away at the weaker Heartless. He was quick to jump in himself and take on the Assault Rider that appeared through a corridor of darkness. Yet, with our powers combined, we were not able to get ahead of the load of enemies dropped on us.

_Fighting them all one by one is getting us nowhere!_ I dodged an explosive attack from a second Assault Rider and gritted my teeth. Daring the danger, I used the large Heartless's lance as a ladder of sorts to leap over its head and stab downward on its horse end. Infusing light into the attack made it explosive, which wiped out my target and a few Shadows within the small radius. All that was left now were the Shadows that Sora and Ping were fighting, but there was still a great number of them. _All of them are in a group... Then, I should bundle them together and end this in one go._

"Magnet!" I shouted, aiming above the heads of the Shadows. The spell was cast and a magnetic vortex appeared to pull them all in. Twirling my Keyblade in my hand, I braced for a second magic attack to finish them. It was aimed right at the Heartless trapped inside the force of my initial spell. "Firaga!"

The fiery explosion caused for the remaining Shadows to fade away. At last, after all the trouble we went through to put an end to this fight, it was over. We were glad to see the barrier subside so that Donald and Goofy could come back in.

"Nice fighting back there, Ping!" Sora paid the Chinese warrior a compliment. "You were amazing."

"We're lucky you were there with us," I nodded.

"T-Thanks!" she replied timidly. Donald and Goofy rushed over after it was all over. I could hear Donald squabbling over and over about the matter. Maybe, just maybe, the barrier could come back to make it quiet again. Or not.

"You guys okay?" Goofy asked.

"Yeah, we good," Mushu mumbled, slithering out of Ping's armor. "Time to report to the Captain! Mission accomplished!"

"Uh, but what about Shan-Yu?" I turned to the small dragon. "I could've sworn that..."

"That Hun is old news, girl!" he cut me off and pointed to the exit. "Yeah, we're gonna tell the Captain that thousands of Heartless stormed the cave, and Ping took out almost every one of 'em."

I sighed and shook my head. The more we went along with this plan, the more it seemed like a "get famous quick" scheme. My mind was so focused on the matter with that last battle. It was too organized to be an ambush of Heartless by chance. Someone was behind it all, and I was sure I caught a glimpse of that _someone_. They used this cave, a place that looked like it had been put together as a symbol for peace, to stop us from interfering with some grand plan.

Sticking around was not an option, for there was no one else there to suspect. We followed through with Mushu's idea to speak with Captain Shang back at the village. It was still early, so the army should have still been back there. What we didn't realize was that someone else had paid them a visit.

The entire village was in shambles when we returned. Buildings burned down to the ground, swords and pieces of armor sticking out from snow piles. I was devastated seeing all of the destruction, but our friends and allies were still alive. Although they were muffed up, they were still able to stand on their own two feet. Our eyes quickly landed on Captain Shang, who was badly injured and lying in the snow.

"Captain!" Ping rushed over to his side and helped him back to his feet, but he was too injured to stay standing for so long. "Can you tell us where the enemy went?"

"Up toward the summit..." the Captain choked the words out, pointing at the massive mountain that was not too far away. He got up again on his own and panted from the exhaustion that hit him. "Don't worry about me. I-It's just a flesh wound. I'll... I'll be fine."

"Just don't overdo it," Sora said. "If you can manage locating the villagers, we'll go and take care of everything at the summit."

"F-Fine..." Captain Shang nodded reluctantly. It was a little much for him to agree to, but he recognized that we were the only ones in decent shape.

I sighed and stepped forward with my hand extended toward Captain Shang. The others looked at me, confused, but they soon understood what was happening when a green light flowed out from the palm of my hand. Winding vines with leaves on them wound around the injured captain, and a blossoming flower bloomed over his head. The Curaga spell worked profoundly to heal all of his major injuries, giving him a renewed strength.

Captain Shang's eyes reflected astonishment as he examined himself closely. It was a parting gift, but we didn't stick around long enough to hear any thanks from him. There was trouble at the summit that needed our immediate attention.


	22. Heroes Saving the Day

The five of us stood side by side at the end of the snow-covered mountain path, where we found no trace of Shan-Yu or the Heartless. It was silent, save for the cruel wind that made our skin cold and numb. Yet, even if they were not seen, I got a feeling deep down in my heart. I exhaled and scanned the area as my heart pounded anxiously. They were close.

"Hey, look!" Ping pointed up the mountain.

Just beyond our point, there was a single figure standing in the snow. I gasped when a hawk flew over our heads, screeching at a high-pitch tone. The majestic bird flew right to the person, which was a sign to us that our enemy was just ahead. _Shan-Yu_.

_Is that...?_ I squinted my eyes as a multitude of Heartless lined up beside Shan-Yu. Just as it had appeared, a massive amount of Heartless came to form the ruthless bandit's army. I couldn't count the exact number of Rapid Thrusters up there, but there had to be nearly thousands of them.

"No! Grr..." Sora growled, seeing the lot of them at Shan-Yu's disposal.

"He's using the power of darkness to control them," I said out loud. Our weapons were immediately brought out to combat the enemy's forces. It was going to be a long battle, but we didn't need to have mercy on the Heartless. _It won't be long until his heart succumbs_.

Shan-Yu's voice echoed through the valley, and the Heartless suddenly began to descend to our position. He rallied them to attack, surprising us with his ability to exert his will over the darkness. I was almost positive that he'd turn himself into one of them or get consumed if this went on for much longer. If we could beat him now, then his life would be spared from the dark force.

To cover more ground and eliminate as many Heartless as possible, we split up and fought in our own battles. I found myself surrounded by several Bolt Towers and the Rapid Thrusters, their numbers going into the hundreds. They sped around me and tried to strike with their propellers, but a speed trap attack worked well to eliminate them in groups. I found it convenient, too, to reflect the bolts of energy shot out from the tower Heartless. The numbers of the Heartless was soon depleted to none by the time we all got done fighting. Now all that was left was Shan-Yu.

"What? There's more?!" Donald quacked as another few hundred Heartless appeared at the Hun leader's side.

The wild man let out a roar to call the Heartless to battle. He charge at us this time, too, marking it as his last stand. Surprisingly, the other soldiers came rushing in with an explosive. They called for us to get out of the way while the explosive missile was aimed straight for Shan-Yu.

However, before they could light the line, Ping got another idea and stole it from them. She rushed off ahead with Mushu clinging to her scarf. It was not to get a more clear shot on the Hun. Rather, after lighting it with Mushu's flames, she fired it off at the mountain peak. It was obviously not in the direction everyone was hoping for.

"You're going the wrong way!" Mushu cried out as he incidentally rode the rocket all the way there. Hopefully, he'd make it back in time to tell Ping that in person. I winced when it exploded against the side of the mountain.

"Yes!" Ping cheered as all of the built up snow slid off in an avalanche. So that was what she had in mind, to defeat the enemy with the tons of snow. It was a great idea and most likely enough to blow them all away. No normal human could survive it, either.

"C-Captain?" Sora blurted as Captain Shang and the other soldiers arrived to support us.

"Look out!" Ping cried out to us as the avalanche approached. We all ran away to take cover so that we didn't fall victim to the snowy trap.

Grabbing Sora by the arm, I ran away to the mountain path where part of the mountain acted as a shield. Everyone was able to get out, except for Shan-Yu and the Heartless. It was a narrow escape, but we came out on top and victorious. Thankfully, everyone was deemed safe after the avalanche passed, and all of our enemies were gone. We had Ping to appreciate for that.

"Thanks, Ping," Captain Shang patted the soldier girl on the back.

"It... was nothing," Ping replied, and they got up to view the result of the strategic attack.

"I should never have doubted you," Captain Shang confessed. "From now on, you have my trust."

Grateful to have finally earned his trust, Ping thanked him. We were all glad to be over that mess now that she proved herself as a man and soldier. Everything was going very well. The Captain was in full support of our group and Ping, and we finished Shan-Yu and the Heartless. It was about time for us to head back down the mountain. Captain Shang mentioned presenting the victorious army to the emperor, and we had to go along with them.

That was until Mushu popped out of the snow. He dusted himself off and started mumbling about the thrilling adventure he went through to get back down to where we were. A few of his whiskers were also fried from the explosion. Unfortunately, the Captain was right within earshot to hear all about his problems... and about Ping.

"First she uses me as a lighter, then she turns me into a cannonball," Mushu blabbered on about Ping as we all watched on as he stomped through the snow. "The head ancestor's gonna hear about this. You know, that's it! I give up! I can't take this no more. Come on, Mulan. Let's quit this charade and go home, girl."

"Mushu!" Ping, or the now exploited Mulan, shouted at Mushu through a hushed voice. He just gave away her identity to Captain Shang, unwittingly. Realizing the mistake he made came far too late. I turned and saw the shock in Captain Shang's eyes as he shifted his gaze from the dragon to Mulan. The shock eventually turned into anger as he glared at her.

"Mulan?" the captain muttered to himself in a low voice as he connected the dots. "A woman? It can't be!"

"Ping! Captain!" Sora and the others came running to check on everyone, but they were only met with an angered soldier. I rejoined Sora's side as the Captain approached. His fists were tightly clenched at his sides as he looked at each and every one of us. This was turning into an even bigger problem.

"You all knew about this and didn't tell me," he said in a low growl. His gaze traced over us all as he spoke before finally landing on me. "You knew that Ping was really a woman in disguise. And you... Who even are you?!"

I gritted my teeth at his accusing point. He was angered to the point that he went after everyone in front of him. Unfortunately, it meant that I couldn't really hide myself any longer. Revealing myself would surely add more fuel to the fire, but...

"H-Hey, he's just a-" Sora tried to cover for me, but I put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"It's okay, Sora..." I said, dropping my hood so that they all could see my face. Of course it angered the army's captain even more. He was practically blowing off steam from his ears. "There's no point in hiding out any longer."

"Tsk!" Captain Shang turned away in disgust, stopping a few feet away from Mulan. "I can't believe you lied to me... The punishment for high treason and dishonoring the Army... is death. Get out of my sight... now. My debt is repaid."

He departed from us at once without looking back. Although he was somewhat of a jerk to Mulan, we were appreciative of him for not punishing her in such an extreme way. But the dishonor that she was to face back home would be another challenge to face. I had hope that she'd find a way through it.

I shook my head as the soldiers left us, but something caught my eye as they made their way back to the checkpoint. The soldiers that were lagging behind were suddenly giving off a strange energy. It was hard to make out. _A stench... It's like there's darkness somewhere close by. But where?_

"Mulan... I blew it," Mushu crawled onto her shoulder and apologized deeply.

She changed out of her armor and reverted to the real Mulan with hair hanging loose. Now that she didn't have to hide her identity any longer, Mulan seemed awfully happy in spite of being dishonored and kicked out of the army. Well, it had to be a weight lifted off her shoulders than something like a punishment. Perhaps this was like a slap on the wrist compared to anything else.

"Thank you, everyone, for helping me get this far," Mulan thanked us. "Sorry I got you all in trouble."

Shrugging our shoulders, we paid no mind to the recoil that hit us in that whole mess with Captain Shang. It was no big deal, and we were glad to have helped her out to some degree. Not only were we able to have a thrilling adventure, we also defeated an evil man controlling the Heartless.

"Mulan," I stepped forward to speak with her. There was something on my mind that was nagging at me for a short while now. "What're you going to do now?"

"I'll go back home," she answered, walking down the summit path with us following right behind.

"You know, your daddy's gonna be steamed as a chicken dumpling..." Mushu added.

"We'll take our share of the blame!" Sora said, grabbing Donald and Goofy in a big hug.

I grinned and slapped him in the shoulder, "Yeah, for all the trouble we caused."

* * *

_The heroes descended the mountain summit to return to the safety and security of China's main city. Ping, now having returned to being Mulan, led the way to introduce her new friends to the world she knew and loved. Since the rigorous training faced in the past battles against the Heartless and Shan-Yu, the young woman learned a variety of new skills to potentially aid herself and others against what enemies there were to face._

_Since defeating the mad warrior, they were certain that peace would soon be restored to all of China. The darkness within his heart would no longer attract the Heartless, and the world would no longer have to worry about the darkness lingering or haunting innocent folks._

_But as they went down the path, a loud and bloodcurdling roar sounded from the canyon below as they passed through the ridge. The first warning of an imminent danger was the hawk that flew overhead. Kara had spotted it first as she walked behind the party. Though it seemed like nothing at first, she became curious about where it was headed, for it seemed to be searching for something... or someone._

_"It's Shan-Yu!" Mulan announced to the others as she peered over the ridge to the heavy snow down below. She pointed the surviving villain out to everyone else when she saw him. "I can't believe he survived that."_

_Kara and Sora knelt down beside her, spotting multiple Heartless appearing beside him. They were both bothered by how many there were popping up from the corridors of darkness. It became obvious to them that his heart was now fully immersed in the darkness._

* * *

"Is he headed for the Emperor?" I wondered, and Mulan confirmed it by pointing to the city in the distance.

"The Imperial City is where Shang and the others went to," she told us. "We have to hurry and warn him!"

Nodding in agreement, we all hurried through the ridge and the destroyed village to get through to the checkpoint. At an unnatural rate, Heartless were spawning all over and attacked us. We plowed through them and wasted no time in getting to the path leading to the Imperial City. The marching army was some miles ahead of us, but we tried to catch up to them before Shan-Yu could.

It took a while to get through the crowds of people in the courtyard, but we were soon able to find Captain Shang and his troops. A vast majority of them were limping along like zombies. It was like the war with the Heartless and the journey back home wiped them all out. Only the colorful trio that encouraged Mulan remained strong and ahead of the rest. We passed them by and got in front of the Captain to warn him of to coming danger.

"Shang!" Mulan called out to the still furious man. He hesitantly stopped and faced us even in his disappointment. "Shan-Yu is alive! He's headed this way!"

"And why should I believe you this time?" he asked impatiently.

"But... she's telling the truth!" Sora supported her. "We saw him with our own eyes."

Yet even with all the support behind her, he did not believe in the claims we gave him. Hearing a peculiar hawk's screech, I looked up to find our "old friend" soaring over the city. It was the same hawk from before- the one that was with Shan-Yu. Donald was a big help in pointing it out to the Captain.

Our eyes followed it until the position of our enemy came to light. Shan-Yu was hiding out on one of the building tops near the palace. We were too late to warn them in time. How he got here so fast was beyond us, but we couldn't dwell on that fact. Right now, that madman was about to terrorize the city and the emperor.

"Guard the palace!" Captain Shang ordered his men. "Do not let the enemy get anywhere near the Emperor!"

However, it was only the dedicated three who charged ahead of him. All the rest were enveloped in darkness as they tried to walk on ahead. Shockingly, they became corrupted by the darkness that had somehow tainted them. The entire army became Heartless. That was our cue to jump in and prepare for battle. At least the people in the courtyard were able to be taken to safety.

As for the remaining Heartless in the area, we took them all out before heading up to the palace gates. We got there in time to see Shan-Yu holding the Emperor hostage, his sword at the elderly man's neck.

"Now you'll bow to me," Shan-Yu growled.

Shang took his chance when we arrived. The evil swordsman took his eyes off his target to see us, only for Shang to tackle him away and save the Emperor. We got in the way of the closing gates to stop Shan-Yu. This time, we'd take down the villain once and for all.

"It ends now!" Mulan shouted, provoking Shan-Yu. By now, we were all well aware that he was bathed in darkness. The menacing aura wrapped around him, and Heartless began to appear. He had his forces called and ready to fight, so the fight against evil began again.

We split up the battle in two different ways. There was Donald and Goofy to protect the gates from the Heartless as they came forward to break through. Sora, Mulan, and I took on Shan-Yu himself. He was a tough opponent to face, but we were well prepared for the fight. Dueling against the formidable opponent was not so difficult since we had the light working strongly on our side. Shan-Yu took on a lot of heavy damage, and we did have some minor injuries sustained.

After a long and decisive battle against the Hun, Mulan was able to deal the final blow that felled the warrior. The hawk was turned to roast chicken by Mushu's flames, a fitting end for the bird. And, as for the Heartless, they had all been dealt with promptly by the others. There was not one left at the end of the day. The world was safe for the time being, and a major threat was pushed away. What a sweet victory.

The arrival of the Emperor brought us to stand at attention. A multitude of people filled the great courtyard down the long flight of stairs. His attention first landed on Mulan, who he seemed most impressed by. Behind him was his escort, Captain Shang.

"I've heard a great deel about you, Fa Mulan," the Emperor stated. Mulan, not so sure if she should be happy about it, stepped forward and bowed respectfully. The elderly man's face turned to a stern expression as he gazed down at her. "You stole your father's armor, ran away from home, impersonated an Imperial soldier. You deceived your commanding officer, shamed the entire Chinese army, and dishonored your family name..."

"Ugh... We get the picture..." Sora shook his head out of frustration. I groaned softly, bothered that they were still going on about that bit.

"You're a young woman. And in the end..." he continued on with a nod, "...you have saved us all."

"Mulan, look," I whispered to her, pointing at all the people bowing to her. We were so sure that trouble would come from what we all had done prior to getting to this point. The support we received was enough to bring back the cheer. There was nothing to worry about now.

"Your Excellency!" Mulan smiled happily.

"Captain Li?" the Emperor glanced back at Captain Shang expectantly. In an orderly manner, the Captain picked up Shan-Yu's former blade and awarded it to Mulan. "Take this sword, so the world will know what it is you have done for China."

"Thank you," she bowed again.

"Mulan. Sora. Donald. Goofy. Kara," Captain Shang stepped forward, clearing his throat. "Thank you."

"_Thank you_? Is that all there is to say, Captain?" inquired the Emperor. "If you wish to win the heart of Fa Mulan, China's bravest woman, you'll have to be a bit more eloquent than that! Ho ho ho."

"Can we get an autograph?" Sora teased.

"Thanks for everything, everyone," Mulan expressed her thanks to us.

"Now they GOTTA let me go back to bein' a guardian! They GOTTA!" Mushu slapped his knee excitedly, confusing us a bit.

"But Mushu, I thought you already WERE a family guardian!" Goofy pointed out.

"What?" the dragon choked. "Oh, no, no- don't even worry about that, that's just real technical stuff. Just for us dragons, you know."

"You tricked us!" Sora pointed an accusing finger at Mushu, and he started chasing him around all over the place. I laughed to myself and shook my head, the shenanigans were continuing even here. But that was no surprise to me. Good thing was that we could have moments like these at all.

"W-What's this?" Mulan gasped suddenly, bringing our attention to the sword in her hands.

"Ah, that must be..." I folded my arms and watched it shine. "Sora?"

A peculiar light surrounded the steel blade as it rose into the air. It was doing what the membership card did back at Hollow Bastion. Sora knew exactly what to do and brought out his Keyblade. The familiar light appeared around the tip of the Kingdom Key, and he let it work its magic.

A crown-shaped light appeared under his feet as the world's Keyhole appeared. Sora shot a beam of light into it, letting us know that we finished what we came to do. The sword then returned to Mulan.

"Okay!" Donald jumped.

"Guess it's about time to be movin' on," Goofy chimed in.

"You shall be missed," said the Emperor. "Thank you for all your help."

"Is it okay if we come back to visit?" Sora asked them.

"Of course!" Mulan replied first.

"We will look forward to your return," Shang said, welcoming the idea of us coming back again.

The two of them together made room for much teasing. We soon left for the gummi ship to allow our friends of the Land of Dragons to enjoy their lasting peace. Now that our hearts were connected, there was something to look forward to the next time we dropped by to see them. I had a feeling that we'd be back again very soon.


	23. Beast's Castle

_Sora cleared us through the next Gate, opening the way to the next world. None of us knew where we were going._

Neither Donald nor Goofy had a name to give concerning the world we arrived at next. The gummi ship was hidden away in a forested area. It was spooky finding our way through with all the wolves lurking somewhere in the dark. We eventually got through and crossed over a long bridge to a daunting looking castle.

Not wanting to spend more time out in the wilderness, the guys opened the tall gates and entered the castle. It looked like it was abandoned anyway, but it still felt wrong to just let ourselves in unannounced. Maybe there was still someone living inside... somewhere.

I looked around the messy interior and saw nothing but scary statues and gargoyles. What a creepy setting. No one would want to make such a place their home, in my opinion. It was way too dark and in a ruined state. Yet, of all the places we could have ended up, it was this one. What made it so special?

"Hey, what is this place?" Sora asked, looking around curiously.

"It's huge!" Donald said, admiring the spacious castle.

"Sorta gloomy, don't ya think?" Goofy added, and he was spot on.

"Wonder who lives in this castle," I thought out loud, poking the sharp axe of a nearby statue. The dull edge was rough and chipped, not enough to cut. "Or... lived."

**_"ROOOAAAARRR!"_**

An answer came shortly after, startling us badly. Shivers ran up and down our spines as the whole place seemed to tremble in response to the beastly roar. It was brief and not too far away, in another part of the castle. But the chills I felt soon went away when that sound ceased. So familiar...

I wasn't the only one who thought that it sounded like someone we knew. There was only one who could make loud noise in such a way, but the name failed to come to mind. It was on the tip of my tongue, too, but I had a hard time figuring it out.

"Huh, anyone else recognize that?" Goofy asked. The roar came again but not as intensely.

"Hey!" Sora clapped his hands having realized something. "I know who that is! It's the Beast!"

"We should go and see how he's doing," I suggested. The sound his roars might have come from up the stairs, but I wasn't exactly sure which direction. There were two different sides. The echoing was throwing my ears off. "I hope he's doing better, but judging by the sound of it..."

"Wait, we've got a Heartless problem!" Sora pointed at a Shadow creeping along toward a cracked open door. The light from inside the room poured out slightly, seemingly attracting the creature.

There might have been someone in there that it was going after. Nonetheless, we gave chase and confronted a whole group of them sneaking around in the warm room. The Shadows quickly turned on us the moment we arrived, starting a battle on the spot.

Yet, even with all that we unleashed on them, more and more continued to appear. It was getting to be a problem in the confined space. There was no way we could break through and escape back through the door. We got cornered in a matter of seconds. Not even Sora in his new Valor form could take out all of them.

"Aw, c'mon, enough already," Sora groaned. "I'm getting tired of this..."

"Somebody help us!" Donald shouted at the top of his lungs.

That somebody immediately answered the call and burst through the door, stopping the Heartless in their movements. We were glad to see the Beast step through and fight off the lot of Heartless, saving our skin. None of the darkness goons were able to stop him, and they fled away after a good number of them got beat.

"Just in time!" Sora grinned, thanking the Beast for his help. Strangely enough, Beast kept walking by and ignored the praise. Apparently Sora came to close to him, my friend was launched out of the way. I grunted, falling to the ground with Sora landing on top of me. Donald and Goofy were thrown the other way as Beast moved by them. "W-What's the big idea?"

Beast was still ignoring us and picked up a glass container holding a beautiful rose. He nuzzled it in the embrace before departing from the room. Getting back up to our feet, we watched him leave us alone. Not a word of greeting came from him. We were insignificant guests who received no attention. I rubbed my arm and expressed concern over what had just happened. It didn't seem like him at all to do something like that. Well, it did because he seemed like a typically angry kind of person, yet it wasn't him.

"Gee, do ya think he maybe forgot who we are?" Goofy wondered.

"With this many Heartless around, something must be up," Sora said, bringing up the important part. There were a lot of them in the castle all of a sudden. It might have been that one guy we met at the Mysterious Tower, the one who said he was spawning Heartless all over the worlds.

"Why'd he have to do that?" Donald grumbled, rubbing his cheek.

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes, putting aside the incident. The Beast was acting very strange since we arrived, maybe before we even got here. Something was the matter, and we needed to figure it out right away before he came after us over something. "Let's go and have a look around the castle."

Stepping out into the entrance hall of the castle, I searched around for clues until noticing a shadow move at the top of the stairs. It was quick in getting away, taking the east wing route. I stopped and studied the upper floor from where I stood for a moment until the others came to my side.

"What's up, Kara?" Sora asked me, but I merely shrugged my shoulders in response.

"Don't know," I said. "I could have sworn that there was someone up there just now."

"Well..." Goofy hummed in thought. "If Beast is here in the castle, that person musta been Belle, right?"

"True," I nodded.

"Yeah, maybe so," Sora agreed. "Hey, she might know what's happened to the Beast, too."

"Let's go find her then!" Donald said, urging us on.

I couldn't help shaking this feeling that there was someone else inside the castle besides Beast, Belle, and us. It continued to be a nagging feeling as we climbed the stairs to the east wing, where the figure assumed to be Belle went. An infestation of Hook Bat Heartless had us busy during our exploration of Beast's castle.

Of course, on the upper floor of the castle, there were more creepy gargoyle statues to go around. Though their stone eyes were fixated on the walls in front of them, it felt like they were looking right at us as we passed through the hall. The shaky feeling inside couldn't be shaken off. Yet, in spite of the gloomy and unpleasant atmosphere, we continued onward.

"I hear voices," Sora muttered, cupping a hand around his ear. "It's coming from down that way."

The end of the hall was where he was pointing to. Walking over that way, we found ourselves in front of a closed door where there was a voice. A woman was on the other side, I could tell. She sounded rather frantic, but I couldn't make out what she was saying. We were going to investigate right away in case there was someone bad in there.

Sora shushed us and inched closer to the door with the rest of us right behind him. He mouthed something and pointed at the door, which Donald nodded to. Somehow, I got the feeling that the same thing was not in all of our heads. The idea became evident when Donald took some steps away from the door and rolled up his sleeves. "Okay. Stand back."

"Donald!" I tried to stop him, but he darted forward to break down the door.

Suddenly, the door he tried to ram into flung open. Donald tripped on the curl of the rug and tumbled inside, landing at the feet of the woman we were looking for.

"Hey!" Donald grumbled and looked around angrily. "Who opened the door?!"

We peeked inside to see a young woman in a blue dress standing over Donald. She looked concerned seeing him fall to the ground, but a smile immediately appeared when she realized who had just barged in. Belle pulled Donald into a powerful hug, although he was less than pleased when she did so. It was great to see her again and under better circumstances. Maybe it wasn't all that good if she was sounding distressed about something, but it was good to see her nonetheless.

At least Belle was glad to see us, too, unlike the Beast. She was probably happiest seeing Donald judging by just how hard she hugged him. Donald was scrambling to get out from her hold, but it was a poor effort. He was stuck there until she let him go.

"Sora! Goofy! Kara!" Belle stopped and noticed us standing by. As if nothing was the matter with out friend, we waved in greeting and enjoyed reuniting with the princess. But the happy reunion came to a close when serious business came up. There was still something we needed to talk to Belle about concerning this world.

"Where's the Beast?" Donald asked her. "He seems a little angry."

"Oh..." Belle sat down in an old and dusty chair by a desk. Her face was shadowed by gloominess as she thought for a moment. "He must be in the west wing. I... Uh... We don't talk like we used to..."

"Did something happened?" Sora took his turn to ask the princess a question, and she nodded.

"That's why you're here, right?" She replied, though it wasn't exactly the reason.

But since we were visiting her and the Beast, it was only right to lend a helping hand and do something about the Heartless. I had a feeling that there would be some other matter that we'd be dragged into to fix. Helping out an old friend wasn't a real bother. They helped us big time when the worlds nearly fell to darkness before.

To think that the Beast would stop talking to Belle. Back then, it seemed like they were more of a loving couple than something like this. Even Belle thought that he was acting strangely, more so than usual. We got a clue about an answer to this predicament, but Belle explained to us that the ones we needed to speak to were locked away in a dungeon. Definitely not the best place to be right now.

The servants of the castle were held prisoner by their own master, which was Beast. And, the reason behind it, we had no idea. Just thinking about it was giving me a headache. What we had to do now was not question anymore about the why's. Rather, we went to find out where the dungeon was ourselves to free the servants and figure out what the big problem was. Belle gave us the whereabouts, and the four of us took it into our own hands to solve the problem.


	24. Deep and Dark Dungeon

Following Belle's instructions to get to the dungeon, our group left the east wing and made way for the opposite side of the castle where the west wing was located. Getting there was no easy feat with the appearance of so many Heartless, but we were pleased to see that no enemies were occupying the west wing upon our arrival.

"This is the place," I announced to the others as we explored the fancy decorations. Knightly armor lined up along the entrance to the hall and several lit candles. We were definitely in the right area. "There must be a way into the undercroft around here..."

"Uh... I think I see a door behind that huge wardrobe," Sora pointed at an oddly placed piece of furniture.

Approaching it led to the discovery of a green door, which we were blocked off from. An inconveniently placed wardrobe wasn't about to stop Sora, though. He stretched his arms out and got ready to push it to the side so that we could continue on and save the servants. _I wonder who thought it'd be a good idea to put that there..._

"Okay, let's go and- Puah!" Sora was about to open the door and lead us through when a large object rammed into the side of him. I winced and shielded my eyes as he fell to the ground like a bag of potatoes. He was okay and managed to get back up to his feet, but the stars were still dancing around his head. "Ugh. What hit me?"

"Harumph! You have no manners, little boy!"

So it wasn't a mystery person who did a number on my poor, unsuspecting friend. We were all shocked to see the wardrobe grow a human-like face and move all on its own. Or, maybe I should be referring to it as a _her_. The furniture piece was more feminine than anything, really.

The cranky wardrobe was a difficult obstacle to get around. There was no other way to get down into the dungeon, so we had to put our heads together and formulate a plan to get through to the other side. Donald had the bright idea of pushing her to the side, but we had to do it carefully as to not wake her up again. Sora did a good job at it, and he was able to make some good room for us to get through the door.

But, regardless of the effort he put into not waking the wardrobe, she was aroused from her sleep and groaned out of frustration. The wardrobe didn't attack this time but sighed and faced us more peaceably. What a relief that was.

"I was just starting to get comfortable..." the wardrobe whined. Clearing her throat, she somehow puffed her chest and turned to us in a dignified manner. "May I help you?"

"What...?" was our response to the sudden change in tone.

"Oh, right-" Sora shook his head and got back into the groove of things. "Belle needs us to go to the dungeon."

"Goodness!" the wardrobe gasped loudly. "You're here to help my friends? Well, why didn't you say so before?"

"Er..." I folded my arms. Because you didn't give us the chance, maybe. "Sorry?"

"Ah, if only I could do it with my own two hands," she sighed deeply. "If only I were human again. Allow me to share with you a brief story... I used to be human, until an enchantress cast her spell. I was turned into a wardrobe when the prince was turned into a beast."

"The prince is the Beast?!" Donald quacked.

"The Beast is a prince?!" Goofy became baffled.

"Indeed," the wardrobe nodded. "His behavior was hardly princely at the time."

"What's all this about a spell?" I asked.

"Well, it was a cold winter's night..." she began, interesting all of us. "And that's enough for now. You may hear the rest when you've rescued the others. It'll give you something to look forward to."

"Aww..."

"Bummer."

"Hurry now, the dungeon is no place for a clock!" urged the wardrobe lady, confusing us. Whatever she meant by that would have to wait for now.

The servants locked in the dungeon needed us, and now was our chance to go down there and get them out of there. While we went inside, the wardrobe went back to Belle's room to be with her. It was much safer for the two of them to be together, what with the Heartless roaming around. Our party descended into the damp and chilly undercroft where the dungeon was.

The entrance to the dungeon was just ahead of us now. Twin doors guarded it, locked to prevent us from going inside, no doubt. Taking a good look at the place, I found that it wasn't so scary after all. Sure, the statues on either side of the doors were creepy. I could have sworn that their stone eyes were following my every movement. Something, somewhere, was watching.

"Huh..." I shivered a little, feeling a chill run down my back. Focusing on the doors, I studied the unique design on each stone slab. Twin creatures facing each other. They were like monsters judging by their appearance. "This has to be it."

"Ack..." Donald chirped. "What?"

Inexplicably, the eyes of the two creatures on the door began to glow an amber yellow. Stone chipped away and revealed a black flesh; the door was given life by the power of darkness. I witnessed the monstrous pair lock their claws around a keyhole in the center of the door, and their long arms tried to pick away Donald. The possessed doors pounded fists and hissed at us.

_Heartless have possessed the dungeon's doors?_ I realized, rolling away from the wild claws flying about. Even the other statues came to life and started attacking us. It was an ambush of objects that were once inanimate. However, destroying the weaker statues wielding swords and axes, I noticed something flying into the air. Unlike the normal Heartless that we faced, these ones did not give off hearts. _It's pure darkness...? _

"What is that thing?!" Sora struck a much larger ball. It had a pair of yellow eyes and a gaping mouth. He had released it from the Heartless possessing the doors to the dungeon. Maybe that was just it. That thing was what possessed them. A single Pureblood Heartless controlling the statues and those creatures on the door.

The theory came together when we kept on fighting. Releasing it made the two Heartless turn back into stone until it went back inside the keyhole. We were facing an enemy on a whole other level. Our Keyblades were able to thwart its escape, however.

"Valor!" Sora shouted, using Goofy to power his new Drive form. He took the lead in the battle and used his two Keyblades to deal with the Possessor in a short period of time. It turned out to be a pretty weak Heartless in the end. Sora defeated it, and the fighting came to a stop.

Darkness flowed out from the door and followed the Heartless as it drifted away. We were watching it until it faded away. All that was left on the doors was a dusty silhouette of the strong enemy we faced just moments ago. We were able to get through now that that was over with.

"You really think the dungeon is through there?" Donald gulped, not wanting to take another chance.

"C'mon, we gotta set those servants free!" Goofy encouraged him to move forward even if it was a little daunting of a task. The doors did just try to attack us, so of course Donald was a little worried about trying to open them again.

"Goofy's right," Sora chimed in. "Let's go."

Sora took the lead and opened the doors to the dungeon. Nothing jumped out to scare or attack us, so we all went in without a hitch. The dungeon was cold and had droplets of water falling from some corners. Only a couple of chairs sat at the far end, where there was a crate and piles of hay. No people sat inside the dungeon as prisoners, however. Sitting on the chairs and crate were a few decorative pieces. Nothing else.

"There's nobody here," Sora said. He searched every inch to be sure, and he was right.

"You mean there's nobody to rescue?" Donald whined. "Aw phooey."

"Did someone say _rescue_?" a voice inquired politely. It was a man with a thick French accent.

"Shh!" another shushed him. "Keep quiet. It might be THEM."

"Oh, they look like nice people to me," said a woman.

"We are nice," Goofy said to them, wherever they were. "We're your friends."

"Uh, yeah," I said in agreement. "We were sent by Belle to find you."

The candlestick, the clock, and the pot and cup all jumped down to greet us. Just like the wardrobe, they were all animate objects. I could hardly believe my eyes seeing them move around the dungeon so freely. Kneeling down, I examined each of them closely. _These must be the servants, then._

"I'm Sora," my friend introduced. He gestured to each of us, too. "Donald. Goofy. Kara."

"D-Don't touch!" the clock cried when Donald picked him up and started playing with his tiny pendulum. "I-I am a self-winding clock, sir!"

"We're glad you're all okay," I said to the candlestick.

"It is we who are overjoyed to see you!" he replied, getting back up on the chair.

Did somebody put a spell on you guys, too?" Goofy asked them.

"Oof!" the clock struggled against Donald. "Yes, that's right... You've heard! It was the enchantress."

"It seems so long ago..." the candlestick continued.

"It was a cold winter's night..." the pot added. "An old beggar woman came to the castle, and she asked for shelter."

"But the master of this castle, that is of course, the prince..." the clock went on, proceeding from where the others left off. But, he got distracted by Donald. "Stop that! Put me down this instant! Ahem... The master turned her away because of her... meager appearance."

"How awful!" Goofy shook his head.

"Oui," the candlestick replied. "He was a spoiled prince, so selfish and... how shall I say... cruel."

"Lumiere!" the clock stamped his foot.

"The old woman warned our master not to be deceived by appearances..." the pot lady said. "Still, he would not take her in."

"Then the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress," the clock told us.

And so the story went on. The enchantress turned the prince into what we see now as the Beast, the fate his cold heart shaped for him. Punishment proceeded to affect all those serving within the castle, these four with us now. Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Chip. They were all enchanted and turned into a variety of furniture and utensils.

One idea was to go after the enchantress who did this to them, but Lumiere and the other servants shut down the thought. They claimed that there was only one thing that could be done to reverse the curse placed on all of them.

"If only the master would do something..." Lumiere sighed. "But, he's acting rather unusual."

"Oh, right, he is," Sora nodded.

"It's as if he has forgotten to trust others," Mrs. Potts stated.

"You don't suppose he's been turned into a Heartless, do you?" Cogsworth suggested, shocking us.

"Heartless?!" we all blurted.

"If they're part of this, then it's good we came here," I said, folding my arms.

"We've gotta go and find Beast!" Donald declared.

"Splendid idea!" Cogsworth agreed.

"Follow me," Lumiere jumped over to the doors. "I know a shortcut."


	25. Shadows and Xaldin

"Allow our guests to pass!"

Cogsworth and the others led us through a secret pass that took us through another part of the dungeon. Just one command from him made the knights' armor step away to move on from here. They stood by idly as we walked through a set of doors overlooking the undercroft.

Unfortunately, it was no easy task getting through the tunnel. We were warned that the door at the other end was concealed by a peculiar contraption. Cogsworth held tight to a lever to reveal a lantern burning with an enchanted flame. If it were to be lit with the power of light, then we'd be able to unlock the door and get out of here.

To put out the flame, a mix of water and Sora's Keyblade were used. Lumiere did the rest with his own flame to light the lanterns throughout the passage. A tedious task was what we made out of it, but our lot got out of there in the nick of time.

Sora called for the rest of us to head for the end of the passage after he, Lumiere, and Mrs. Potts lit the rest of the lanterns. Donald, Goofy, and I followed Cogsworth and Chip down the stone path. As we made our way there, something on my mind bothered me.

"Mind if I ask you something?" I asked the clock man.

"Ah, what is it, Miss Kara," Cogsworth answered politely.

"You seem to know about the Heartless," I pointed out to him, recalling what he said back in the dungeon. "How do you know about them?"

"Those strange creatures lurking around the master's castle?" he thought out loud. For sure, he and I were thinking of the same creatures. "I do believe that they came up out of nowhere, but... a man in a black coat used them to separate us from our friends."

"A man in a black coat?!" Donald and Goofy said in unison.

"That could only mean..." I turned to them, and they nodded. "We'd better hurry to find Beast."

We met up with Sora and the others at a stone wall, which turned out to be the secret door that'd let us out of there. The hidden route took us back to the west wing, but on the other side of a set of armor blocking the stairs. Now that we were on the right side, we could go and see the Beast in his chambers. Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, and Chip went off to check on the rest of the servants in the castle. Thankfully, Cogsworth remained with us to see the Beast.

I felt uneasiness going through the west hall. A powerful darkness was lurking somewhere inside, watching our every step. It was just like before in the dungeon. Statues came to life once again due to the Heartless Possessors. Not all of them did, though. It seemed like it was only a select few coming to life.

_Organization XIII must be behind all of this_, I thought to myself. They apparently had the power to summon and control the Heartless. Either it was them or Maleficent's lackey holding responsibility. My best guess was the man in the black coat mentioned before. We had to hurry before anymore trouble came up.

At the door to the Beast's room, we heard a voice speaking. I cracked the door open and peered inside to see the Beast standing with his back to us. Someone else was there, pacing around our friend in there. He was the one that Cogsworth spoke about- Organization XIII's member.

"It's time you dealt with Belle," the man said in a cold tone. Narrowing my eyes, I figured he was up to no good talking about Belle like that. Sora, Donald, and Goofy gathered at my back to listen in on it as well. We listened until we couldn't listen anymore. "She's scheming to take everything you have. This castle, your precious rose. And then- your life. Trust no one. Feed your anger! Only anger will keep you strong."

"I've had enough of strength," Beast replied. I slowly opened the door and crept inside along with the others. "There's only one thing I want-"

"What?" the man in the black coat scoffed. "To love, and be loved in return? Who could ever love a beast?"

"A princess who's heart is filled with pure light," I replied in a snark way toward the man.

"Ah, so she has accomplices," he chuckled and disappeared into a corridor of darkness. "Eliminate them, if you want to see freedom again."

Somehow, we were pitted against the Beast in a daring battle. The exit was blocked off by an invisible barrier the man had set up. There was no escape at this point, so we had no choice but to fight our friend. He swiped at us and tore up the walls of his own room. The beastly prince lost his senses after being swayed by that guy from Organization XIII.

But with the help of Cogsworth, we were able to snap the Beast back into his normal self. His senses returned after a small beating. I was glad that we didn't have to fight him too hard. He was back to fighting for our cause. When he came back to, it was up to Cogsworth to explain all that had happened during his tantrum. The Beast was actually shocked that he put his servants down in the dungeon, meaning it wasn't him in a sober state.

"So, Beast, who was that guy you were talking to?" Sora asked. "The one in black?"

"Xaldin!" Beast gasped, remembering the Organization member. "...That's his name. He came from the darkness... He... He used my anger to control me. Took all my sorrow, my sadness, my pain... and turned it all into rage. There was nothing I could do... I could no longer see the truth."

"Well, I'll be," Goofy snapped his fingers. "That must be why you threw all of your friends down there into the dungeon. You wanted to make sure that you didn't hurt 'em, right?"

"Was that it?" Beast wondered. "Was it to protect them?"

"Let's go with that," I told him. "We know you wouldn't hurt them for no reason. Your heart is too good to do something so bad."

"They're right, Master!" Cogsworth said. "We've all seen how kind you can be. After all, Belle can see the goodness in your heart, but I'm afraid you've yet to-"

"Belle!" Beast suddenly blurted. He let out a moan and dropped his shoulders. "I've mistreated her... I've mistreated her and been so selfish."

"She didn't say anything about that," Sora said.

"She'd never tell anyone of my cruelty... She's too good," Beast stated.

Of course, he had to be so harsh on himself for things he had little control over. We managed to stop him from judging himself so badly and convinced him to go and talk to Belle. She was surely still in her room at the east hall. Putting aside the issue with Organization XIII, we made our way there to go and talk to her so that this mess could be cleared up. Beast had to believe in her words despite ignoring ours.

* * *

Surprisingly, Belle was not in her room when we got there. The talking wardrobe, one of Beast's servants, was still there, however. She was shocked that her master was back to his senses but glad for him to be. It was a relief to her that everyone was safe now.

"Where's Belle?" Beast asked her.

"Why, she left to go and follow this... man in black," the wardrobe explained, angering the Beast.

"WHAT?!" he howled. "Why doesn't she do as she's told?"

"Temper, temper!" the wardrobe tsked him. "Her spirit is what makes Belle so special."

"We'd better go find her!" Sora said, urging the Beast to turn the other cheek.

At first, Beast's lack of a response was worrying, but it turned out that he had the resolve to save the princess from the dire situation that she was in. We rushed out to the east wing and fought off what Heartless-possessed statues there were.

_"I'm warning you! You'll be sorry!"_

I could hear Belle's muffled voice from somewhere as we hurried out to the entrance hall. But, the castle was so huge. She could be anywhere, and it sounded like she was in danger judging by the distress in her tone of voice.

My foot landed on the last step of the stairs, when I caught a whiff of the scent of darkness. It was awfully strong and somewhere nearby.

"Belle!" Beast called out to the princess. "Where are you?!"

_"Beast! Help! I'm in the ballroom!"_ Belle cried out in response to his booming voice. Our eyes landed on the tall and narrow doors leading to the ballroom, which was just behind us. That was where the scent seemed to be strongest, I noticed, so that was where we went.

Beast burst through the doors to get inside, but it wasn't because they were locked. The damages weren't a big deal, though. Belle was who we were most worried about. Getting inside the ballroom, we saw the young woman running away in the other direction. She looked back only to appear extremely troubled and frightened.

"Belle!" Beast called again as Belle retreated to the balcony.

"I'm alright!" she replied, shutting the door.

_No she is not_, I swallowed when a giant ball of darkness wrapped in heavy chains descended upon the door. It was following her, but our presence drew the creature away from Belle. A blue aura was radiating from that thing. Its yellow eyes were glowing brightly with a fire of darkness. Although I couldn't see an emblem on it, that thing was definitely a Heartless.

The Heartless rose into toward the chandelier but immediately dove into the ground to spread a sickening amount of darkness throughout the ballroom. Before our very eyes, the whole area was morphed into a place of darkness.

"W-Wha?!" Sora yelped loudly when the darkness crept beneath his feet. "What's this?"

The Heartless shot back out of the ground and confronted us. It was an intimidating foe, but we stood our ground and faced it head on.

"C'mon!" Donald encouraged everyone to fight. "Let's beat that thing!"

Fighting the Shadow Stalker- the name we referred to it as- turned out to be a not so bad battle. It would take possession of different parts of the ballroom to attack us. The walls, chandelier, and pillars. However, we were able to beat it without too many issues.

Sora, transforming into his Valor form with Goofy's aid, used a formidable combo to deal the last hit. Shadow Stalker wailed and hissed at us as it rose into the air.

It let out a howl, darkness pouring from its mouth to wrap around it.

"Did we win?" Goofy blinked in surprise, peeking over his shield.

The dark mass that formed was quietly sitting. Nothing about the ballroom changed back to how it used to be. I wanted to call it a day, but... I got a terrible feeling about this. The fight couldn't possibly be over yet. Tightening my grip on my Keyblade, I prepared myself for the worst. "I don't think we're done yet."

Its timing couldn't have been any better. The darkness pulsed and exploded to reveal an enhanced foe. Growling and baring its vicious teeth was a transformed Shadow Stalker, which was now deemed as Dark Thorn. This time, things were a lot tougher to deal with. Dark Thorn turned himself invisible to knock Donald and Goofy aside. Pitting himself against the unseen foe, Beast pushed it back with his strength to help Sora get in a few hits.

"Move!" I called out to the others, vaulting off the back of the Heartless to get onto the transfigured chandelier. I stomped my foot hard to knock it out of place and stun the Heartless, and Beast used that as his chance to crush the Dark Thorn against the wall by shoving the chandelier into it.

Jumping down to join in on attacking the enemy, we dealt a plentiful amount of damage to it until the giant Heartless stumbled back in defeat.

The battle ended with Dark Thorn fading away into darkness, with its stain on the ballroom disappearing with it.

"We did it!" Sora cheered, raising his Keyblade above his head.

"Yeah!" I grinned, enjoying the victory alongside the others.

"So you think," murmured a man from the other side of the ballroom. I whipped around to see some guy dressed in Organization XIII's black coat, and it was the same man from Beast's room. "I'd hardly consider it a step in the right direction."

"Xaldin!" Beast howled, rushing in to try and attack the Organization member.

"Farewell," Xaldin chuckled. Before we could make it to him, he fled through a corridor of darkness.

"Darn it," I grumbled a little, becoming irritated. "He got away..."

"What does he want here?" Beast questioned, clenching his claws.

"He must be with Organization XIII," Sora deduced the obvious first. Beast turned to Sora, interested. "Ever heard of the Nobodies?"

"The what?" Beast growled.

"It's like this," I started, putting away my Keyblade. "Someone with a strong heart becomes a Heartless. What's left of them creates a Nobody, too."

"Right," Sora and the others nodded in agreement to the summary. "The Organization controls the weaker Nobodies."

"And they were gonna make you into a Heartless," Goofy added. "That way, they could get that Nobody of yours and have control over it."

"You're okay!" Belle called out from the other side of the ballroom. She came back in after everything calmed down. Grinning from horn to horn, Beast ran over to her on all fours. The servants arrived just in time to see them together.

"Belle..." Beast spoke softly. "I-I'm sorry- I... wasn't myself. I hope I haven't done anything to hurt you."

His plea for forgiveness was granted when Belle smiled sweetly at him. I was glad to see that the both of them were getting along now.

"I know you weren't yourself, so don't apologize," Belle shook her head. "I just hoped... that you might have changed. Just a little bit. I wish you could start trusting me."

And, it happened. The sweet moment turned into something else. We were disappointed that there wasn't more of the joyous feelings between them. It seemed like Beast really messed up this time. At least, Belle didn't look like she was beyond forgiving him any more.

"Oh, dear," Lumiere sighed. "I'm afraid time is running short."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked. We turned to the servants, concerned by Lumiere's words.

"Remember the rose?" he asked us, and we nodded. The rose he was referring to, I recalled, was the one Beast was so touchy about.

"Yeah, the one from his room," Donald answered.

"Precisely," Cogsworth nodded. "You see, if the master can learn to love, and earn love in return, before the last petal falls..."

"The spell will be broken," Lumiere finished dramatically.

"Really?" Sora put his hands on his hips and looked back at Beast and Belle. "You think he's gonna make it?"

"We think so," Mrs. Potts said.

"Yep, I think you're right," Goofy threw in his hopeful opinion.

"I HOPE you're right..." Sora pursed his lips.

Looking at those two, I frowned a little. It was a rough start for them to get on track to breaking that curse. But, at the same time, I somehow knew that things were going to work out for those guys. Well, for this whole world. Everything would be just fine. A smile spread when the thought came to mind.

Sora's Keyblade flashed into his hand at that moment, letting us all know that it was time to open the gate and leave this world.

"Guess we'd better get going," Sora said, looking over to me.

"Guess so," I nodded.

The situation with the Heartless was done for the time being, so we had no complaints about leaving. We promised to return again to see how everyone was doing in case the Nobodies made an appearance like they did today. After giving our farewells, we left for the gummi ship and departed for the next world.


	26. Hundred Acre Issue

Beast's world was soon far away behind us as we blasted off toward our next destination. I settled in the back seat with Donald and Goofy while Sora got to pilot the ship. He got Donald's official approval to do so, so there were no disputes about who got to do what.

But, when we got to a certain point, I noticed that the gummi ship was slowing down and changing directions. The path that we needed to go to was the other way.

"Sora, what are you doing?" I folded my arms and grumbled at my friend. "We're need to go that way."

"Hey, it's not my fault!" he yelled over his shoulder.

"Huh?" Goofy titled his head in confusion.

We were all crowded around Sora's seat when we noticed something odd going on. The steering controls were acting on their own. Sora wasn't doing anything to take us off our intended route, after all. I kind of felt bad, but there was no helping it now.

"Wait a minute..." Sora scratched his head. "Is the ship moving all on its own?"

"Yeah, you're right," I said, sitting back down. "We're being taken back to Hollow Bastion."

* * *

After being led back to Hollow Bastion, we docked just outside the town and made our way to where Merlin's house was. My guess was that he and the others wanted to see us about something. It'd have to be important if we were dragged all the way here by what had to be the old wizard's magic.

_Do they have any info about Riku?_ I wondered to myself, smiling a little bit.

"I wonder what's up," Sora said, leading the way passed the reconstructed houses.

"Huh... maybe Merlin's got some more stuff to teach you, Sora!" Goofy teased.

"Aw..."

Taking a turn around the corner, we could see that the door to Merlin's place was sitting wide open. I narrowed my eyes and focused my gaze on it. That wasn't like them to carelessly leave it open like that. It was dangerous, especially since Heartless and Nobodies were lurking around.

A Heartless trio of Soldiers came running out of the cozy home seconds later, alerting us of their presence.

"Uh-oh!" Donald gasped.

"Not good," I gritted my teeth, rushing toward the Heartless with Light Seeker at the ready. The Heartless, to our dismay, ran away before we could take them out.

"C'mon, let's go check and see if everything is okay," Sora suggested and pointed to the house.

Inside, Merlin was on the ground rubbing his backside. I ran over to him and helped him back to his feet. It didn't look like he was badly hurt, but there were some scuff marks on his robes. Those Heartless did a number on his home, though. Books were knocked all over the place.

"Uh... Phew... Thanks, dear," Merlin patted my shoulder, and I nodded. "Well, now... took your time, did you?"

"Oh, so it was you who summoned us, Merlin?" Goofy realized.

"Yes, yes," Merlin confirmed. The old wizard was still out of breath a little, so he sat down in his chair and sipped a cup of cooled tea to regain his strength. "But it seems I used too much power in doing so, and those infernal Heartless...Oh..."

"What's up?" Sora asked.

"Well, I happened to stumble upon this in the Zero District," Merlin pulled out a book from his bag and handed it to me.

I gasped and admired the book's cover. On it were four figures- a little bear wearing a red shirt, a tiger bouncing on its tail, Sora, and myself. Donald jumped onto my back to see it, too, and the others gathered around with happy faces. I remembered the tender memories we shared with Pooh and his friends.

"It's Pooh's storybook!" Sora announced gleefully.

"That's right," Merlin chuckled, standing back up. "Sora, Kara- I know you're both good friends of Winnie the Pooh. That's actually why I summoned you here. And when I did, I was attacked by the Heartless. O-Of course, I fought back with some rather powerful magic, but then I feared the book would get damaged. So, I... Er. Now, just a moment. Leon and the others need to hear this, too! I-I'd better go and find them. Be back in a jiffy."

Merlin left, poofing away into a puff of magical clouds. I tried to let all of what he just said sink in, but it wasn't working so well. He was about to go into detail about his "fantastic fight against the Heartless", I was sure. It sounded pretty interesting. I wish he'd have continued a bit more.

"Anyway..." I turned to Sora and the others with the book still in my hands.

"I wonder how Pooh's doing," Sora said, staring at the large book.

"You two wanna find out?" Donald asked us, and we turned to each other thoughtfully.

He smiled big, and I grinned at the same time.

"Yeah!"

* * *

_"You guys!" Goofy held his mouth upon seeing the Keyblade masters square up to Winnie the Pooh's storybook._

_Sora hunkered down and gave Goofy a thumbs up. "Cover for us, 'kay?"_

_"We won't be long," Kara smirked. __Donald stood by with the opened book in his hands, waiting for them to get sucked into the world inside the storybook. A light shined and warped both Kara and Sora inside, taking them to the Hundred Acre Wood. _

_Goofy looked around, but Merlin was still absent. He hoped that they'd hurry back so to avoid getting in trouble by the powerful wizard._

_"Ya think this is okay?" the shield knight asked Donald, but he noticed the court magician chuckling darkly. "Donald?"_

_..._

_"Let's see..." Sora walked around the page and looked around at all of the pictures there were. "Where could Pooh be? The meadow?"_

_"Mm, maybe we could check out his home," Kara suggested, pointing to a popup of Pooh's house. _

_Approaching the familiar setting, the duo found themselves walking down a long and windy path to a part of the woods. They were near Pooh's home now, and they could see the sign sitting above the front door. It just so happened the Pooh was sitting outside on a log, right in front of a warm campfire._

_Smiling, Kara was the first to approach Pooh and extend a warm greeting. _

_"Pooh Bear!" she grinned, leaning down to be at eye level with the yellow bear. "How are ya?"_

_"Hey, finding enough honey?" Sora chimed in._

_"Oh, yes," Pooh nodded. "In fact, I was just about to do my stoutness exercises. Would you like to join me, Sora and Kara?"_

_"Sure, I'm game!" Sora agreed to it, then looked to Kara._

_"Why not?" Kara said._

_"Let's..." Pooh went to hop down from the log he sat on, only to freeze midair. _

_The very air around them stilled. A leaf dropping from a branch had stopped in its descent. Kara furrowed her brow as Sora went to check on Pooh; they could still move freely. Touching the leaf with her finger, Kara gasped when it shattered into tiny fragments._

_"Sora!" _

_Kara called out to her friend, but it was too late. His hand was inches away from Pooh. An invisible force repelled Sora away, knocking him into Kara. It was like a whirlwind was throwing them out of there. _

* * *

I landed hard on my front when the book ejected us from the Hundred Acre Wood. Groaning, I sat up and turned around to see the book sitting on a podium against the wall. Sora was next to me, looking worriedly at it as well. The book closed by itself and was locked tight, denying us entry.

_What happened?_ I wondered, slowly getting up to my feet. _Donald and Goofy aren't here..._

"Sora! Kara! Hurry!" we heard Donald shouting from outside.

To my ears, it sounded a lot like trouble was brewing out there. I turned on my heels and ran outside to confront a band of Heartless surrounding Donald and Goofy. Those creeps must have thought to raid Merlin's abode while we were busy in the storybook.

I summoned Light Seeker and charged a few Shadows spawning in front of the doorway. Sora came up behind me with his Kingdom Key, and he took out a few more Heartless attempting to get behind me.

"Sora, the book?" I turned to him after finishing off another Shadow.

"Book?" he blinked, only to realize at the last minute that he didn't have it with him. "It's still in the- Hey!"

"Give that back!" Donald stamped his feet.

A group of Soldiers came running out of Merlin's house, one of them holding the book triumphantly. It's claws were digging into the fragile fabric of the book. If they weren't careful, and I doubted that they would be, the book would be torn all up.

Merlin's gonna be mad at us now, I gritted my teeth and chased the Heartless down through the alley while the others handled the ones around the house.

"I'll get it!" I called back to the others and ran at full speed after those thieving Heartless.

Catching up to the Heartless in the back, I cut it down and pursued the other two before they could escape. _Zantetsuken...!_ I slashed through the remaining Heartless in one decisive blow, putting an end to this wild chase. The book landed harshly on the stone ground when the Heartless faded. I picked it up and returned to where the others were waiting; they also came out victorious.

A gloomy mood hung over our heads in spite of the win. Long tear marks ran along the front and back sides of the book. It was damaged pretty bad by the Heartless thieves. Hopefully, it wasn't too bad on the inside. I gulped quietly and gave the book to Donald along with a page that had been torn out of it.

"Think it's okay?" Sora asked worriedly, staring at it.

"Gwarsh, maybe you two better go back and make sure Pooh's alright," Goofy suggested.

"But, what about Merlin?" Donald asked.

"Well..." Goofy tapped on his chin. "Gwarsh, I forgot about that."

"We'll just have to be honest and explain what happened," I sighed. "Anyway, let's go see Pooh."

"Right!" he nodded as Donald opened the book.

Sora and I were enveloped in a light. The book, still functioning as it did before, took us back to the storybook world.

* * *

_Sora and Kara touched down on the book's pages once again. To their dismay and misfortune, much of the book interior was blank as a result of the Heartless attack. It was lucky for them that there was still one popup page standing. Pooh's house was their destination again._

_Wasting no time in getting to Pooh's home, the young masters ran along the winding road to the large tree sitting in the middle of the woods. They stopped near a large tree root and saw Pooh sitting on the same log he was on during their previous visit. It was a relief to see that he was doing just fine. That meant the damage was not extensive._

_"Pooh!" Sora called out to the yellow bear on their way over, but he didn't hear him._

_Kneeling down beside Pooh and the small campfire, Kara examined him closely to see if there really was nothing wrong with him. Sora was on the other side, smiling happily at his friend._

_"We're so glad you're okay, Pooh," Sora said, getting down on one knee._

_"And I'm glad you came to visit," Pooh smiled kindly. "But, you see, I was just about to do my stoutness exercises. Perhaps we could visit a bit later... Somebody-I-Don't-Know."_

_"Oh... sure," Sora stood up, scratching his head in confusion._

_"Er..." Kara put a hand to her mouth and looked back to Sora in an equal amount of confusion._

_"Uh, so how's Piglet these days?" he asked instead of responding to the peculiar matter thrown at them. _

_"I don't think I know anyone by that name," Pooh said, shocking them. He continued to do his exercises. "Now where was I? Oh, yes. My stoutness exercises."_

_"Pooh?" Kara spoke quietly, wanting to reach out to Pooh Bear. Yet, the little bear paid no mind to them. It was like they were of no important whatsoever. _

_"Something strange is going on here," Sora said, folding his arms. "Maybe we should go back and tell Merlin about this."_

_"I think you're right," Kara nodded in agreement._

* * *

Upon exiting the Hundred Acre Wood, we saw Merlin standing over by a pile of books with Merlin. He finally returned from his trip into town or wherever he was. Those three were talking about something, but their attention turned to us when Goofy pointed our way.

Of course, the look on Merlin's face told us that he wasn't all that impressed by our actions. I was certain that the others already told him about the Heartless attack.

"Couldn't be bothered to wait up for an old wizard, eh?" Merlin sighed.

"Sorry about that..." Sora smiled sheepishly.

"Anywho, how are thing's in there?" the wizard asked, paying no more mind to our lack of patience. "I heard about the trouble those Heartless gave you."

"Ah, well..." I winced. "Seems like Pooh's forgotten all about us."

"And not just us- all his other friends, too," Sora continued on.

"Wack!" Donald quacked in shock.

"Oh, no!" Goofy shook his head.

"I was afraid of that..." Merlin sighed. He walked over to the podium that had the book on it and opened it up to the page containing Pooh's home. There was plenty of evidence pointing to the darkness. "I suspect it has something to do with those pages stolen by the Heartless."

"Oh, right, kinda like the last time," I said. And thinking about the page I picked up earlier, it went back into the book to restore Pooh's home. "I'm guessing we have to... go on a huge hunt to pick up all the torn out pages."

"Right you are, dear," Merlin nodded, closing the book. "This book is one of the world's most cherished elements. I'd been meaning to tell Leon I'd found it, but perhaps we should keep it between us for now."

"We will!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy shouted. I simply nodded and agreed to the plan.

"Good, good..." Merlin chuckled. "Now, the book isn't all that's cherished... This is for you, Sora."

Merlin used his magic to create a sapphire blue orb, and he let it float over to Sora. The symbol on it was vaguely familiar.

"What is it?" Sora asked, taking it into his hands.

"Simply concentrate on it with all your heart, and you need only say the word to summon an ally who will help in times of need," Merlin explained to him.

"Oh, so you mean a summon, like Mushu when we were here," I figured, and Merlin nodded.

"Precisely!" Merlin smiled. "Now go forth, with your friends by your side!"

"Thanks, Merlin," Sora grinned brightly, accepting the gift. "We're worried about Pooh, so we'll be back once we've found those torn pages."


	27. Wrong Turn?

"Phew, now where were we?"

Sora stretched his arms for a moment. The gummi ship was flown out from Hollow Bastion, and now we were at a a crossroad in the ocean of stars. There were routes still open to the other worlds, but we were looking to head to a new and, hopefully, unexplored world.

"Huh, I got nothing," Sora shrugged his shoulders and leaned back in his chair.

"Lazy bum..." I huffed, rolling my eyes at Sora. Of course we had something to work with. Although, I had also been in a bit of a slump thinking about what we were supposed to do now. That was until I regained the thought to peer into my heart for answers. It'd be what Master Yen Sid would suggest. "We're going..."

"Where?" Donald asked sarcastically while I shot a beam into a section of space.

It took a minute for it to react, but a burst of light followed to show us the way to the world we needed to be at.

"There," I nodded, putting away my Keyblade. I sat back down so that Sora could safely pilot us through the danger zone of the gate.

* * *

_"Groooaaarr!"_

_Collapsing to the ground, the Rock Titan let out a roar as Hercules spun it around with his mighty strength. The true hero threw the titan with all of his godly strength and dismissed the threat that had once disturbed the peace over Olympus and Thebes._

_Hercules was sporting a bright smile as the crowds cheered him on. Raising his sword above his head, the young god posed to let his great spirit shine._

_"Good game, Champ!" Phil called out to him and clapped his hands._

* * *

"You sure this is the right place?" Donald asked. It was evident in how close he walked to Goofy's leg; Donald was spooked. He did have a right to be, though. This place gave me the creeps, too. So dark and gloomy as if someone just died. "Good job, you two. You got us lost!"

"Don't blame me," I mumbled. I stuck my tongue out at him, but then turned around quickly upon seeing a ghost-like figure following close behind him. "Hm..."

"What was that?" Donald asked, but I shook my head.

"Nothing," I told him, ignoring the ghost. "Anyway... Does anyone else feel totally sapped?"

"I could go for a nap," Sora stretched his arms. He stopped a moment after we walked for seemingly hours. At one point, we were walking down some kind of cavern that had no end. Now we weren't sure where to go since one way was blocked off by blue flames. "Great."

"Are ya sure this is the coliseum?" Goofy asked, shooing away the ghost that was bothering him.

"It's that way!" Donald walked ahead, pointing to a stairway that seemed to glow harmoniously. "See, _I_ know where we're going."

"Guess we were a little bit off," Sora laughed the subtle insult off.

"One of us was..." I muttered but followed along to the stairway to Olympus. This place had to be the Underworld, judging by how it looked.

_"Help!"_

Before we could get near the stairs, there was a loud scream and cry for help. I turned around as the others did and spotted a woman being chased by a pack of blue, fat dogs. One of them tugged at her dress, causing for her to fall to the ground with the other wild dogs surrounding her. But a closer look explained to me that those were no ordinary dogs. There, on their behinds, were Heartless emblems.

"Heartless!" I shouted, running to the woman who was being attacked. The canine Heartless fled, however, but we were more concerned about the poor woman on the ground. "Are you okay?"

Sora tried to help her up himself, but she denied the offer and stood up on her own.

"Thanks, but... I'm fine," the woman said, rubbing away an ache in her head. It seemed like she was a little irritated seeing us coming to her rescue, or maybe it was just a heavy bit of sarcasm. "And you're supposed to be? Never seen you kids here before."

"Oh, I'm Sora, he's Donald, that's Goofy, and over there is Kara," Sora introduced us all. "We came to see how Hercules is doing."

Her interest was captured when Sora mentioned Hercules, I noticed. She gave us all one more look over and smirked.

"You know Wonderboy?" she asked.

"Yeah, because we're heroes, too!" Donald proudly declared.

"You mean junior heroes, Donald," Goofy pointed out.

"Aw, phooey..." Donald folded his arms.

"Heh," the woman giggled softly. "Looks like we have a friend in common. Name's Megara. My friends call me Meg."

It was safe to say that Meg was no longer in any danger. We could talk easy now that the Heartless were gone. I found it strange, though, that she'd be wandering around in the Underworld. After all, wasn't Hades the ruler of this part of the world?

"So how's Herc?" Sora asked Meg. "It's been a while since we've seen him."

"Wonderboy?" Meg raised a brow. "Well, he's duking it out at the Coliseum every day. You know, _a hero's work is never done_ and all that. He's ready to drop, but he keeps fighting. If he keeps it up, he'll finally reach his limit."

"Is he... fighting the Heartless?" Sora asked. "Like those things that attacked you?"

"I'm not sure, but I know these opponents of his are bad news- straight from Hades himself." Meg's words were alarming to us. It was true, then, that Hades was still up to no good. And seeing that the Heartless were involved once again, Pete had to be involved. Or maybe the god of the dead is taking control over the Heartless.

"Hades?!" Donald quacked.

"I had a feelin' he'd be involved," Goofy said.

"Right, the Lord of the Underworld," Meg nodded. "I was on my way to see him. Maybe I can get Hades to give Wonderboy a breather. If anything happens to Herc..."

"Gwarsh..." Goofy sighed. "Sounds like you're more than just friends!"

"Oh... uh, I mean..." Meg stuttered.

"Eh heh." We stifled our amusement. It was so romantic that Hercules found himself a girlfriend.

"We'll go see Hades for you," I nodded to the others, who agreed to the task. "With the Heartless running around, it'd be awful if anything happened on your way to see him."

"You'd really do that?" Meg asked in surprise. "Well, you kids seem to know what you're doing. I suppose I could take you up on your offer."

"Yeah," Sora smiled.

"But... let's keep this whole chat-with-Hades thing our little secret, okay?" she asked.

"Our lips are sealed!"


End file.
